Rego fees on the rise

PHARMACISTS’ professional registration fees for the 2021/22 year are on the rise, while a number of other Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) regulated professions have seen fees frozen or cut.

The indexed 3% fee hike will cost pharmacists renewing their general registration, $433 - a $13 increase on the 2020/21 rates - while those whose principal place of practice is NSW will be charged $507, which includes a $74 contribution to the Pharmacy Council of NSW.

Announcing the fee increase, Board Chair, Brett Simmonds, said the regulatory body was committed to keeping the fee as low as possible, while ensuring it has sufficient income to carry out its duties and protect the public.

Simmonds said the Board acknowledged the efforts pharmacists have made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to support their communities.

“We thank the profession for the significant effort in providing frontline services for the public during these very difficult times,” he said.

The Board said that pharmacists adversely impacted by lockdowns may be eligible to access AHPRA’s registration and renewal fee payment plan.

Of the 15 AHPRA regulated professions, registration fees have been increased for seven, with pharmacy, medicine, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathy and physiotherapy boards’ fees increasing by 3%, while the Dental Board of Australia limited its increase to 2.5%.

Fees were frozen for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island health practitioners, podiatrists, chiropractors, nurses and midwives, medial radiologists and Chinese medicine practitioners, with paramedics seeing their fees cut by 4.25%, and psychologists’ registration costs falling again after last year’s 10% cut.