Council sent out a series of emails to pharmacists ahead of the release of the APC and Disciplinary Levy consultation document which was published on 31 October 2024. The consultation document set out Council’s proposed increase to the APC fee and disciplinary levy, which combined is proposed at $1,025 (from $925 this year).

All the communications we sent out in our series are published on this page. Email one explained the rationale for our proposed increase and the topics we will be covering in the series, including the rise in the number and complexity of notifications and complaints we are receiving in relation to the conduct, competence and/or fitness to practise of pharmacists. Read more here

Email two focused on notifications and complaints, including the steady risk in the number of notifications our compliance team receives and must respond to. We also touched on how Council covers the costs of compliance and discipline. Read more here.

Email three continued to look at the steady rise in notifications and complaints, and their cost, which means that the disciplinary levy will make up the largest component of the total proposed APC fee increase. We focused on Professional Conduct Committees (PCCs) and the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (HPDT) – their roles and the increased costs being incurred by Council year-on-year in relation to external investigations undertaken by PCCs and any subsequent HPDT hearings. We also looked at why the Disciplinary reserve is crucial to our financial sustainability and our plan to rebuild it over time. Read more here

Email four looked at the factors which enable Council to resolve notifications and complaints in a timely way – at the forefront of one case was the willingness of the pharmacist to engage with Council and demonstrate proactively their commitment to improving their practice. We also looked at the factors that can prolong a case and increase the costs incurred. Read more here