Pharmacy Quality Scheme
As part of negotiations on the CPCF arrangements for 2026/27, it has been agreed that a PQS will run in 2026/27, with fewer requirements than in previous years and a smaller budget of £20 million.
The new scheme retains some existing criteria and sees the addition of new criteria intended to support the safe introduction of prescribing into community pharmacy. A Drug Tariff update was published on 2nd June 2026 providing details of the scheme.
The 2026/27 scheme began on 2nd June 2026 and has a declaration period between 9am on 1st February 2027 and 11.59pm on 26th February 2027. Pharmacy owners must have evidence to demonstrate meeting the domains that they have claimed for by the end of 31st March 2027.
Pharmacy owners will be able to claim an Aspiration payment if they wish to between 9am on 13th July 2026 and 11.59pm on 28th July 2026. You can make your declaration to the NHSBSA using the MYS application.
Please see a brief overview on PQS 26-27 here
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Aspiration Payment: Claim between 13th and 28th July 2026
- Declaration Window: Submit declaration between 1st – 26th February 2026
- Demonstrate Evidence of Meeting Domains claimed for: By 31st March 2027
Resources
To support pharmacy teams, CPE have published a range of resources, including a list of important dates, checklist, action plan templates, and training record sheets:
- Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2026/27 – Important dates for the diary– this provides a list of the important dates for the 2026/27 PQS.
- Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2026/27 checklist – a checklist of the gateway criterion and quality criteria for the 2026/27 PQS.
- Action plan template 2026/27 (PDF)– to support the creation of an action plan required to meet the requirements of the PQS criteria.
- Action plan template 2026/27 (Word)
- Training record sheet 2026/27 (PDF) – a template which can be used to record details of those staff members who have satisfactorily completed the required training and associated assessment.
- Training record sheet 2026/27 (Word)
- Community Pharmacy England PQS 2026/27 Action and Evidence Portfolio Workbook – this contains questions (based on what pharmacy owners are required to declare) for pharmacy teams to answer to see if they are meeting the requirements of the gateway/domains. The Workbook also provides pharmacy owners with examples of suggested evidence that they can use to confirm they have the necessary evidence required by the end of 31st March 2027.
- Briefing on the Urgent supply of medicines and appliances strand of Pharmacy First – this briefing provides detailed information on the Urgent supply of medicines and appliances strand of Pharmacy First and includes information on medicines liable to misuse and Controlled Drugs. It may be a helpful reference for updating SOPs.
Training
CPPE
CPPE has set up a landing page on their website to support contractors with meeting the PQS requirements for 2026/27. This includes CPPE learning and assessment are linked to the Medicines Optimisation and Patient Safety domain