Article by Dana Van Zyl,  Focus on Health Director based on GOVERNMENT GAZETTE No. 51352
Dispensing fee for persons licensed to dispense in terms of Section 22C of the Medicines and Related Substances Act (Act 101 of 1965)
Dispensing fee as published on 4 October 2024

The appropriate dispensing fee as contemplated in Section 22G of the Act to be charged by persons licensed in terms of Section 22C (1) (a) of the Act must be calculated, exclusive of VAT, as follows:

• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is less than one hundred and fifty rand (R150.00), the dispensing fee must not exceed 30% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance;
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is equal to or greater than one hundred and fifty rand, the dispensing fee must not exceed forty-five rand (R45.00) in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.

In March 2020 the 30% was calculated on an SEP of less than R128.00 and an SEP of equal or greater than R128.00 earned a R38.40 fee. In little more than one year, the dispensing fee thus increased with 17.18%.

Pharmacy dispensing fee

• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is less than one hundred and forty-five rand (R145.64), the dispensing fee shall not exceed R21.18 plus 46% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is greater than or equal to one hundred and forty-five rand and sixty-five cents (R145.16), but less than three hundred and eighty-seven rand and ninety-two cents (R387.92) the dispensing fee shall not exceed R39.30 plus 33% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is greater than or equal to three hundred and eighty-seven and ninety-three cents (R387.93), but less than one-thousand four hundred and two cents (R1420.02) the dispensing fee shall not exceed R112.28 plus 15% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is greater than or equal to one-thousand four-hundred and two rand and two cents (R1 402.02), the dispensing fee shall not exceed R247.79 plus 5% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.

 COMPARISION BETWEEN DOCTOR AND PHARMACIST DISPENSING FEE

Dear Practitioner

The HPCSA urges Practitioners to use the Online Portal to pay their Annual Fee. Should you encounter challenges using the portal please contact the Call Centre on 012 338 9300/1 or email them the screenshot of the error message on info@hpcsa.co.za.

For access to the Online Portal Click Here.

Once you have gone through the renewal process online, including making the appropriate payment, you will be able to view and/or print an electronic “QR coded” proof of payment of current annual fee renewal for 2022/23. This is official HPCSA proof that a practitioner is up to date with their annual fee payments.

The HPCSA is revising the annual fee increase

Following concerns raised by some Registered Practitioners in relation to the 2022/23 annual fee increase, the HPCSA held its extra-ordinary meeting on Saturday, 19 March 2022 and took the following resolutions:

1. Realignment of the fee increases for 2022/23 financial year to a maximum increase of CPIX of 5.7% for affected Professional Boards which fee increases were above Consumer Price Index (CPIX) of 5.7%;
2. Affected practitioners will receive a credit on their practitioner account in due course to implement the above reduction in annual fee increases;
3. Affected practitioners who have already made full payment of annual fees will have a credit on their account which will be allocated against future annual fees or any other open outstanding invoices;
4. Payment of the newly revised 2022/23 annual fee increase will be extended until 30 April 2022.
5. The HPCSA will soon gazette the newly revised 2022/23 fee increase in line with the resolution of the extra-ordinary Council meeting held on Saturday, 19 March 2022.

For any other information please view the HPCSA’s communication here.

There are significant delays in gazetting of the revised Annual and other fees due. The delays are due to the Government Printing Works system which has been off-line for some time. The impact of the above delays from Government Printing Works is that the fees that were published on 4 February 2022 remain in place as no revised fees can be communicated to practitioners without a lawful gazetting as provided for by Section 62 of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974.

The HPCSA is in constant contact with the Government Printing Works to get updates on when they would be able to publish the HPCSA revised gazette.

Payments for the 2022/23 Annual Fees will be extended to Tuesday, 31 May 2022.

You may view this notice here.