The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has set forth a proposal to raise licensing fees for professionals and businesses within the pharmaceutical sector.
While the move is intended to aid the PPB in sustaining its regulatory mission and adapting to increased operational costs and technological advancements, it has raised concerns within the industry, particularly for already struggling businesses and professionals.
The PPB, the body responsible for regulating pharmaceutical professions and ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of medical products and health technologies, has outlined its fee revision strategy.
This strategy involves an increase in various licensing fees, with some set to triple or double, and others poised to rise by 20 to 40 percent.
The PPB has justified these changes as necessary to accommodate the evolving landscape of service costs and technologies vital for ensuring quality healthcare.
“The PPB, is in the process of revising its fees in order to keep up with the continuing increase in costs of services as well as the technology used in ensuring the provision of quality services,” PPB noted. “The PPB levies fees for services rendered in executing its mandate of regulating the profession of pharmacy and ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of medical products and health technologies.”
The proposed revisions encompass an array of licensing fees. Among these, the Annual Practice License for pharmacists faces a notable increase, soaring from Ksh 5,000 to Ksh 10,000.
Similarly, the registration fee for Pharmacy Premises is scheduled to rise from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 15,000, while the wholesale dealer’s license could jump by Ksh 20,000, landing at Ksh 50,000.
Moreover, licenses related to handling mining, agricultural, and horticultural poisons, as well as the sale of Part II poisons, will be significantly impacted by these changes, each moving from Ksh 5,000 to Ksh 10,000.
Companies involved in drug manufacturing are expected to pay Ksh 5,000 per product, while the pharmaceutical representative permit fee will increase to Ksh 10,000 from Ksh 5,000.
Notably, the manufacturing license fee will triple, climbing from Ksh 50,000 to Ksh 150,000, and the cost of document certification is set to surge from Ksh 1,000 to Ksh 10,000.
According to the PPB, the organization’s expanding regulatory scope has strained its resources and limited its revenue base.
To address these challenges and continue to provide high-quality services, the board has introduced these adjustments to licensing fees.
The PPB emphasized the urgency of expanding its revenue base to meet current regulatory resource needs and ensure the sustainability of delivering quality services.
