The 40 per cent hike in the practising pharmacist retention fee could cost the largest pharmacy companies as much as £450,000 extra next year.

Most multiple chains pay Royal Pharmaceutical Society registration fees for their employees. Boots, Lloydspharmacy and the Co-operative group confirmed this support, but declined to reveal the total cost of the increase. A Boots spokesperson said the company was 'discussing the impact'.

However, the big three did confirm the approximate number of registered, practising pharmacists they currently employ. From these figures, C+D has estimated that the 2008 headline fee could cost Alliance Boots £1,580,000, an increase of £448,000 on this year's bill.

The relative estimated amounts for Lloydspharmacy are an increase of over £220,000 to £790,000.

The Co-operative Group could face a bill of almost £300,000, up £84,000. Increases in fees for other employees will add to these amounts.

Small independent multiples also faced added financial pressure from the fee rise, the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies' chief executive Roy Carrington said.

He anticipated many independent multiples paying only for the compulsory regulatory body when the RPSGB lost its dual role.