PQS: NHSE publishes 2019/20 high risk audit report

NHS England (NHSE) has published a report on the high risk medicines audit* from the 2019/20 Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS).

10,673 (90%) community pharmacy contractors participated in the audit and 40,419 patients were audited.

This audit shows that pharmacists and pharmacy teams have a very important role in ensuring that high risk medicines are understood and used appropriately to reduce harm.

Read the 2019/20 high risk medicines audit report

*In the 2019/20 PQS, contractors were required to complete an audit over a three-month consecutive period during September 2019 and February 2020. Contractors were required to check whether they had any ongoing patients to whom they had dispensed lithium in the preceding three months prior to choosing the consecutive three-month period for the audit. If the pharmacy had none of these patients, the contractor was required to complete a safety audit of patients prescribed one of the following medicines instead, in the following order of preference: methotrexate, amiodarone or phenobarbital.