PSI charges pre reg students 1400

bleg · 27-01-2009 05:02PM #1

didn't know where else to put this.

the pharmaceutical society of ireland has decided to levy a 1400 fee payable in march for all 4th year students who want to take part in the pre-reg programme on top of the 600 already payable for the forensics course. they're coming to visit UCC on february 9th and the fee is payable in march. the only reason we heard about it is because people in trinity and the rcsi have contacted us about it. so they're basically giving us 1 month to raise 1400 in our final year in college before we've earned a cent and before most of us have our pre reg places even sorted.

what do you guys think?

tallaght01 · 27-01-2009 05:07PM

Jesus!!!!

that's outrageous.

Do you not have a PSI student rep or anything? Organise a mass boycott, or a mass email campaign?

anotherlostie · 27-01-2009 05:50PM

That is outrageous. The PSI has turned into a monster designed to extract as much money as possible from its members. Penalising those that qualify in Ireland in this way is yet another example of this, and a worry you could all do without in the run up to exams. To put it in context, when I started in 1991 we had to pay £40 pre-registration at the start of the course, and pay it once.

Could a rep from each of the colleges meet with them to garner an explanation for this cost (it may be hidden in the Pharmacy Act if you look hard enough, but very unfair all the same)?

bleg · 27-01-2009 06:10PM

the class reps from all 3 courses have written a letter to the PSI showing our distaste at the fee and asking reasons for it. it is written into law alright but from our interpretation of it it is possible to waive the fee, reduce it or reschedule it. they included this in the letter.

we also paid 350 in first year to the "old PSI" and asked for this to be taken into account.

tallaght01 · 27-01-2009 07:11PM

My tip for the PSI class reps would be to try and MEET people from the appropriate authority.

It's much easier to fob someone off by email, and if you establish a rapport with someone it's easier to get your point across.

They might let you guys have it docked out of your wages in your first year, for example.

There's always a compromise.

bleg · 27-01-2009 07:55PM

they're coming to tell us about the fee in february (a full month before it's due to be paid) so we're going to voice our concerns then. however i don't see them backing down after doubling a pharmacists registration fee and increasing the fee to be classified as a retail pharmacy business.

DrIndy · 27-01-2009 08:02PM

why does it need to be paid BEFORE you start?

Could this not be a conditional fee neccesary at the END prior to receiving certification?

€1400 is a bit steep - they are picking a leaf out of the book of the RCPI for extorting their own trainees for "administrative purposes"

bleg · 27-01-2009 08:15PM

i know yea. the other 600 has to be paid for the forensics course regardless if you attend or not

tallaght01 · 28-01-2009 04:34AM

why do pharmacists do a forensics course?

I'd also advise a meeting sooner rather than later. The further you let these things run, the more ingrained they become.

ceegee · 28-01-2009 11:46AM

tallaght01 wrote: »

why do pharmacists do a forensics course?

I'd also advise a meeting sooner rather than later. The further you let these things run, the more ingrained they become.

fo⋅ren⋅sic
–adjective 1.pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law or public discussion and debate.

ie they give you nicely bound copies of legislation (which is available for free on the internet) relating to pharmacy, then spend three days explaining it to you (badly) in a manner which is of minimal use to you come the licensing exam.

Sadly it doesnt involve a big group of pharmacists playing csi for half a week

angeldelight · 28-01-2009 05:24PM

1400?? Jesus! I'm doing my pre-reg now and if they came to me asking for it I'd have to cry, am so broke. Afaik we just have to pay the registration fee when we get our results from the licence exam which is 450 I think... that's harsh. I'd definitely be getting vocal with your class reps and also one of the lecturers in RCSI is on the council of the PSI so make sure people there are kicking up a fuss every time they have him for the business of pharmacy lectures!

deepimpact · 28-01-2009 08:25PM

Are they short of money, or did they blast through the money they got from the sale of buildings already?

When is the forensics course on again? I seem to have misplaced my manual, I think I left it in Dublin :eek:

gnu · 02-02-2009 07:25PM

I've been told by a PSI council member that the fee for the forensic course won't be charged. Also the rules that bring the new pre-reg fee into effect won't be commenced until June 1st so I doubt it's possible for them to look for money in March. I hope!

bleg · 10-02-2009 12:46AM

we had a meeting with a psi representative today.

it's actually 1500 euro and it is to cover the expenses of pre reg training (a load of paper work that needs signing) and the implementation of the new pharmacy act. there will be very minor changes to our pre-reg programme as a result of the pharmacy act of her own admission (the charge being the most significant).
we asked the PSI representative repeatadly to justify the cost which she could not. we asked for a breakdown of what the 1500 was going to be spent on, she could not give us one. she did say that she would request the finance department of the psi to make up a detailed budget of what the money would be spent on...after the fee has been decided.
the 1500 euro is a number picked completely out of the air. it is the upper limit of registration fees for universities and ITs for next year. the psi (who are not an educational institution, which the representative clarified) is charging us this in order for the pre reg year to be recognised as the 5th year of our training. she claimed that it might be reclaimed in tax back but stressed that the psi would not approach the revenue commission about this. we raised the point that the registration fee for university can only be claimed back if in full time undergraduate education. she agreed.

all of our questions were fobbed off (if she listened to them) as the representative waffled on about the same points. not one of them was sufficiently answered. in the end our lecturer called it a day and we didn't get any answers. the whole thing is up in the air and is not over yet.

Sloop John B · 25-02-2009 12:59AM

The role of the society is to protect the public.

Obviously in the light of recent prime Time Investigates programmes into the youth drink binging culture they have decided to protect the public by making sure 4th year pharmacy students can't go on the tear with the same enthusiasm and alacrity of the past.

bleg · 26-03-2009 09:33PM

got more clarification on the matter and it's pretty much put to bed

we have to pay 1344 (they subtracted the 156 we paid in 1st year for preliminary registration) in two installments the first in november the second in march next year and will include all examination fees. for this we are getting a dedicated training manual which is something at least.

the changes coming in the pharmacy degree over the next couple of years (next year's 1st years will begin a course that will end with a MPharm) will also be applied retrospectively to us i.e. we'll get a masters in the post. not too sure how this applies to the years gone ahead of us but the impression i got was that all irish graduated pharmacists will get an MPharm.

so at least that's something. i pity the years to come after us, they're probably going to get an increased fee slapped on them.

PSI charges pre reg students 1400

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