Fee Schedule Amendments in Effect November 23, 2022
At it’s September 23, 2022 meeting, the College Board approved and filed amendments to the Fee Schedules under both the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act (PODSA) Bylaws and Health Professions Act (HPA) Bylaws in accordance with the College’s 2022/2023 Budget.
The College’s new budget provides for a modest fee increase for registrants and pharmacies that will help to return College finances to a balanced budget and fully funded reserves, while enabling operations to meet the College’s mandate and staff to achieve the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan.
The following fees have been approved by the Board and will come into effect on November 23, 2022:
| FEE TYPE | CURRENT FEE | NEW (%INCREASE) | EFFECTIVE DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy | $2,474 | $2,592 (4.75%) | November 23, 2022 |
| Pharmacist | $809 | $846 (4.5%) | November 23, 2022 |
| Pharmacy Technician | $539 | $564 (4.5%) | November 23, 2022 |
The updated HPA Fee Schedule also includes new fees for temporary registration. For more information please see the updated Health Professions Act Bylaws – Schedule D – Fee Schedule.
Following the April 2022 Board meeting, the proposed amendments to the PODSA fee schedule were publicly posted on the College website. The posting period ended in August 2022. No comments were received, and no further amendments are recommended.
The College has an essential role to play in regulating pharmacy practice in British Columbia, and ensuring public safety is protected – a role made even more vital by the COVID-19 pandemic and illicit toxic drug crisis. Regulation, along with patient needs and the healthcare environment have grown increasingly complex, resulting in increasing cost pressures for the College to continue to fulfill its legislated duty.
Over the past year, where possible, College staff continued to reduce expenditures. However, there are new activities, including Strategic Plan activities, investigating information system changes, and legal cases that require additional expenditures.
Reserve funds enable the College to appropriately address the College’s identified highest risks on our risk register, namely ensuring currency of College IT infrastructure given evolving IT and cybersecurity risks and appropriate planning for current legal risks. At the same time, the College needs to continue to build up acceptable reserve balances as part of its muti-year budgeting process to ensure the College is financially secure and fiscally responsible.