The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has prompted pharmacists to contribute to a consultation into premises fees in Northern Ireland.

The Department of Health for Northern Ireland launched the consultation, which opened on June 8 and closes on August 3 2026. It is looking into raising premises fees for community pharmacies, which “have not been increased since 2011”.

The PDA said the consultation is seeking opinions on both “the level and structure of pharmacy premises fees”.

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Although premises fees in Northern Ireland are considered to be low at £155 per year compared to other nations, registration fees for pharmacists are considered to be higher.

Northern Irish pharmacists “pay £477 to the PSNI to maintain their registration”, whereas in Great Britain “the equivalent fee to the GPhC will increase to £310 from September 2026”.

The Pharmaceutical Society Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the number of pharmacists registered with it “has increased from around 2,000 in 2011 to around 3,000 in 2026” whereas “the number of pharmacy premises has remained fairly static”.

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This means that registrant fee income for the PSNI has "grown disproportionately” - which  according to the PDA may leave some feeling “that the current balance places a greater burden on individual professionals”.

The PDA said it “strongly encourages all members in Northern Ireland to read the consultation document and submit a response before the deadline of 5 pm on Monday 3 August”.

It added “even a short response can make a meaningful contribution” and that through participating “members help ensure that decisions are informed by the realities of practice and reflect the views of those working on the ground”.

Complex and resource-intensive

Northern Irish Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said “I am very conscious that this consultation comes at a challenging time and I recognise the pressures that many community pharmacies are facing”.

He also added “professional regulation has become more complex and resource-intensive” and that “the number and complexity of fitness to practise cases has increased”.

He said this means “the society must be able to respond effectively to changes in the pharmacy profession and the wider health and social care system”.

It comes after the Northern Irish government in May, pledged £42m to introduce electronic prescriptions.

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The Department of Health said that the ePharmacy Primary Care Digital Reform Programme will make paper prescriptions “a thing of the past”.

And it follows a survey from Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland, which found that 73% of people would visit a pharmacy over their GP compared with two or three years ago.

The survey was conducted from a sample of 2,615 patients, between March 23 and April 30.