PQS: Updated ESPAUR antibiotic checklist data
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has published an updated spreadsheet from ESPAUR showing the number of antibiotic checklists that have been submitted via the portal application for each community pharmacy contractor; submitting this data is one of the requirements of the Prevention domain of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS).
To meet this requirement, contractors are required to carry out an antibiotic review over four weeks with a minimum of 25 patients or up to eight weeks if the minimum number of patients are not achieved within four weeks. Using the target antibiotic checklist, appropriately trained staff must discuss the antibiotic prescribed with the patient or representative to help ensure safe and effective use and then the data from the checklists must then be submitted via the portal application. Contractors have until 31st March 2022 to meet this requirement.
The data in the spreadsheet shows data submitted via the portal application between 1st September 2021 (when the PQS 2021/22 officially started) and 15th March 2022 (until 3pm).
Contractors are reminded to take care when entering their ODS code and email address in the portal application as if this information is incorrect, it may mean that the submission is attributed to a different pharmacy or that they do not receive a confirmation email.
This is the final updated spreadsheet that will be published ahead of the deadline of 31st March 2022.
If contractors have any questions regarding the checklist, please email ESPAUR@phe.gov.uk.
Further information on the PQS 2021/22 can be found on the PSNC PQS hub page.