Pharmacy Quality Scheme – FAQs
Published on: 23rd July 2019 | Updated on: 25th August 2023
Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2023/24
In 2023/24 there will be a reduced PQS, compared to the scheme originally planned last year. This means a reduced list of activities for pharmacy owners with a value of 60% of the originally planned PQS – £45m. The remainder of the PQS funding (the additional £30m) will be used as an alternative to reducing fees to help ensure that there is no over-delivery of fees in this financial year.
The decision to go ahead with a PQS this year without an urgent injection of extra funding is in contradiction of our warnings to Ministers that there is not enough money to pay for the current services and dispensing delivered by the sector; let alone for new activities to be rolled out. However, we do recognise the importance of some elements of the PQS to patients and the NHS, and the fact that the scheme continues to demonstrate pharmacy’s commitment to, and exceptional performance on, quality. We note the concessions that Ministers have made in response to our submissions – both in reducing the scope of the PQS to reduce the burden on pharmacy owners, and in avoiding a reduction in the SAF which was previously mooted.
Overall, this is an improvement on their original position, safeguarding the funding for PQS and reducing the activity required, notwithstanding our belief that the funding and capacity constraints which apply to the whole sector mean the scheme is currently unaffordable.
DHSC has published the full details of the PQS on the NHSBSA website, which will give pharmacy owners as much time as possible to consider whether they want to take part in this work.
Community Pharmacy England’s position remains that we do not think pharmacy owners will have the capacity
FAQs on the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2022/23 can be found on our PQS – Archive page.
