Pharmacy Quality Scheme

Updated 24/04/2025

The Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) forms part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF).

It supports delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan and rewards community pharmacy contractors that achieve quality criteria in the three domains of healthcare quality: clinical effectiveness, patient safety and patient experience.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) have developed a range of resources to assist contractors with PQS requirements here.

We included a focus on PQS item in our newsletter on 10th April 2025, following the changes to the CPCF announced on 31st March. The item is replicated below:

CPCF: Focus on PQS (from newsletter 10th April 2025)

Useful information summaries are available at the links shown below. Pharmacy contractors should also familiarise themselves with the full detail available on Community Pharmacy England’s website here. 

Disclaimer: At the link below you will find suggested timelines to help you identify when you need to start the work for PQS 2025/26 and contains timelines linked to what needs to be declared for domain.
Timelines-for-Domains-for-PQS-2526

Disclaimer: At the link below are the details you need to declare to help you understand what you need to enter in MYS at the declaration point. Remember the declaration is by the 27th of February but you have until the 31st of March to complete everything
What to declare and checklist PQS 2526

Thanks to Anne-Marie King, Chief Executive Officer of Community Pharmacy BLMK & Northants, for the above PQS summary documents.

DBS Checks

If your staff require a new DBS check, unless you are a large organisation you will likely need to use an umbrella organisation to complete your check. More details on getting a DBS check can be found here.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dbs-check-requests-guidance-for-employers

You can find an umbrella organisation here.

Once completed, for an additional small fee individuals can sign up for the update service, meaning their DBS check can be accessed with their permission in future without having to pay and go through the full process again. Whilst the contract notes staff need a DBS check dated in the last three years, CPL have enquired with CPE regarding the use of DBS Updates when they are in place for staff, without the need to repeat a check. CPE have asked DHSC to add some wording to the May Drug Tariff to cover the update service that will ensure people covered by the update service meet the PQS requirements.