1. Who will be eligible to join the new professional leadership body?
2. What will the new professional leadership body be called?
3. What will be the cost of joining the new professional leadership body?
4. How was the fee set?
5. Will the membership fee be tax deductable?
6. I have already paid my 2010 retention fee. Can I have a refund of my retention fee?
7. I have already paid my 2010 retention fee for the non‐practising register. How do I now transfer to the practising register?
8. I would like to resign from the register
9. I am on the non‐practising register, I do not want to transfer to the practising register, but I want to continue to receive the Pharmaceutical Journal.
10. I am not a practising pharmacist therefore membership of the new professional body is not relevant to me.
11. Why should I join the new professional body if it’s not associated with the title 'pharmacist'?
12. I am on the non‐practising register, how does the establishment of the GPhC affect me?
13. I am based overseas, how does the establishment of the GPhC affect me?

1. Who will be eligible to join the new professional leadership body?

Initially membership of the new professional leadership body, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, will be open to individuals who are on, or have ever been on, the register of pharmacists.

In addition, the shadow Assembly of the new Society has agreed that, after it is launched, a Special Resolution should be put to the initial membership to seek their agreement to the establishment of new membership categories covering students, pre‐registration trainees, pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacy professionals registered overseas.

2. What will the new professional leadership body be called?

The new professional leadership body will be called the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

3. What will be the cost of joining the new professional leadership body?

The annual fee for 2011 will be £192, less than £4 a week. We are also looking at a range of discounts, and incentives for particular methods of payment.

4. How was the fee set?

The fee was set by the Shadow Assembly based on the costs of providing the services as outlined in the prospectus within the envelope of a financially viable organisation.

5. Will the membership fee be tax deductable?

The Society has been in discussion with HMRC to ensure the membership fee for the new professional body is tax advantageous to every member.

If you earn under £43,875 per annum, with a tax code of 647L (standard code) then the saving is £3 per month, which is a total annual saving of £36 against the member fee of £192. If you earn over £43,875 per annum, with a tax code of 647L (standard code) then the saving is £7 per month, which is a total saving of £84 against the member fee of £192.

This is a major saving to members and the fee payable can be as low as £9 per month or approximately £2.10 per week.

6. I have already paid my 2010 retention fee. Can I have a refund of my retention fee?

The new professional body will give members an opportunity to apply for a refund during the first 2 months of its existence for the professional body portion of the 2010 combined fee. However we very much hope current members of the Society will want to experience the enhanced services provided by the new body. Any refund will be made on a pro‐rata
basis, i.e. as we progress through the year the amount will decrease.

7. I have already paid my 2010 retention fee for the non‐practising register. How do I now transfer to the practising register?

The new General Pharmaceutical Council (‘the GPhC’) will not have a non‐practising register. To transfer to the practising register following the payment of your 2010 retention fee, you need to apply to transfer using the following change of status form and pay the difference as indicated before
regulation transfers to the GPhC.

8. I would like to resign from the register

If you would like to resign from the register effective immediately please complete the following Voluntary Removal application form and return it to the Registration Division, as directed at the bottom of the form, who will handle your request.

If you do resign you will still be able to apply for membership of the new professional leadership body, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

9. I am on the non‐practising register, I do not want to transfer to the practising register, but I want to continue to receive the Pharmaceutical Journal.

If you decide to remain on the non‐practising register up until demerger, you will be welcomed into the new professional leadership body, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, as a member. As a member of the new Society you will continue to receive the PJ.

10. I am not a practising pharmacist therefore membership of the new professional body is not relevant to me.

You don't have to be a practising pharmacist to benefit from membership of the new professional body. Being a member is about being recognised as a professional and keeping in touch with your profession. Whether you are looking for career development, networking opportunities or you simply want to give something back, the PLB will provide you with the tools to do just that. At different stages in our careers we all need support, your professional body will provide this through a new information, support and advice service, guidance notes and updates so you can stay up to date with developments across pharmacy. Through local practice forums and specialist groups, events and a new mentoring service the professional body will give you the opportunity to meet fellow professionals, learn from each other and share experiences and knowledge. Although as a non‐practising pharmacist there is no statutory requirement to do CPD we recognise that many still wish to keep abreast changes in healthcare with their professional development, our CPD services will
provide them with the support and tools to do this.

As a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society you will also be able to use the post nominals MRPharmS or FRPharmS and you will continue to receive the Pharmaceutical Journal.

11. Why should I join the new professional body if it’s not associated with the title 'pharmacist'?

'Pharmacist' will be a title restricted to those registered with the new pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Restricted titles of this nature are common across many professions, and becoming more so to protect the public interest.

The Society’s Council did call for the maintenance of a non‐practising register, but Government decided that the GPhC would only have a practising register.It will only be those who are registered with the GPhC that can call themselves a pharmacist.

Once the demerger has taken place and regulation has been handed over to the General Pharmaceutical Council, the new Society will be in a position to speak loudly and clearly for its members. It will be a professional body dedicated to listening to them and responding to their needs. To find out more about the new services that are being developed please take a look at the membership section.

12. I am on the non‐practising register, how does the establishment of the GPhC affect me?

The GPhC, unlike the RPSGB, will not have a non‐practising register. If you are still on the RPSGB’s non‐practising register when regulation transfers to the GPhC, your registration would not transfer automatically to the GPhC and you would cease to be GB‐registered. You could then apply for registration with the GPhC, subject to meeting the registration requirements.

All registrants on the RPSGB’s practising registers will transfer automatically to the GPhC’s register when responsibility for regulation transfers to the GPhC. If you want to ensure that you retain GB registration without a break, you should therefore join the RPSGB’s practising register before that time, so that your registration will transfer automatically to the GPhC.

Information on how to move to the practising part of the RPSGB’s register can be found here

Should you choose to stay on the current non‐practising register you will automatically be welcomed in to the new professional body when the de‐merger of the Society’s roles takes place. You will not be asked to top up the current renewal fee that was due to be paid by March 31 2010. We are working with the membership to deliver services that help our members throughout their lives. To find out more about what is being developed and how it can benefit you please click here.

13. I am based overseas, how does the establishment of the GPhC affect me?

The Pharmacy Order 2010 states that, to be entitled to register with the GPhC, a person must intend to practise in Great Britain, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. As a result there are no specific provisions for overseas fees in the draft GPhC 2010 Fees Rules. Instead, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working overseas will be able to register with the GPhC as long as they intend to return to practice in GB/IoM/CIs in the future, and they pay the normal registration fee.

Those paying the RPSGB's current overseas fee are placed on its non‐practising register. However, the GPhC, unlike the RPSGB, will not have a non‐practising register. If you are not on the RPSGB’s practising register (Part 1) when regulation transfers to the GPhC (the date when regulation will transfer to the GPhC will be announced nearer the time), your registration will not transfer automatically to the GPhC and you will cease to be GB registered. You could then apply for registration with the GPhC, as a new applicant, subject to meeting the GPhC’s registration requirements.

The GPhC is encouraging current non–practising/overseas registrants to consider whether they need to move to the practising register of the RPSGB prior to the transfer of regulation to the GPhC, so that they will transfer automatically to the GPhC register. Information on how to move to the practising part of the RPSGB’s register can be found here.

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