PSNC
More than 90% of pharmacies received some payment under the Quality Payment Scheme (QPS) in 2017/2018, and almost 8,000 pharmacies achieved maximum points across the quality criteria when reviewed in both April and November, data from the NHS Business Services Authority show.
A pot of £75m was made available for quality payments in 2017/2018, with each point worth £64.
Pharmacies were asked to meet a number of criteria reflecting quality in patient safety and clinical effectiveness, patient experience and digital patient services.
Figures show that around 12,500 high-risk patients with asthma were identified and referred for review, and the vast majority of pharmacies have 80% of patient-facing staff trained as ‘dementia friends’.
In addition, almost 11,000 pharmacies are making greater use of the Summary Care Record to support clinical care, with 95% of pharmacies able to access it.
Overall, 11,410 pharmacies met the gateway criteria for the scheme.
Alastair Buxton, director of NHS Services at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, congratulated pharmacy teams and local pharmacy committees on their ‘phenomenal engagement’ with the QPS.
“We are delighted to see such high levels of participation; the data published today is a testament to their hard work and commitment to continuously improving the quality of the services they provide to patients and the public,” he said.
“Particularly commendable are the 7,981 contractors who achieved the maximum points for each quality criteria across both review points.”
He added that local pharmacy committees had worked tirelessly to support their contractors to implement the scheme and they would be sharing details of plans for scheme next year very soon.
“PSNC has recently had discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England about transitional arrangements for 2018/2019, including the Quality Payments Scheme, and an announcement is expected shortly,” he said.
Deputy chief pharmaceutical officer for England, Bruce Warner, said: “I welcome the response from community pharmacy in embracing these new ways of working.”
