Many pharmacists are at risk of missing out on quality payments because they have failed to fulfil the criteria.

The latest report from the NHS Business Services Authority reveals that 2,207 contractors have updated or validated one or two sections of their NHS website profile.

They are required to meet all the criteria for the quality payments scheme by the review point of February 15. That means updating or validating three sections of their websites, including opening hours, facilities provided by the pharmacy and its services.

A new quality payments scheme for the remainder of 2018-19, announced in September last year, has funding of £37.5 million and a review point next month.

The PSNC said: “Contractors are reminded that even if one or more sections are correct, they still need to log into their profile and validate this correct information during the required time period (between 00:00 on 3rd December 2018 and 23:59 on 15th February 2019) as well as update any information in the three sections that is no longer correct.”

Pharmacy’s negotiator also said 36 contractors risk failing to meet the criteria despite updating all three sections because they have not listed medicines use reviews or the new medicine service as being provided from their pharmacy.

The PSNC said: “If contractors are intending to meet the advanced services gateway criterion as they offer either of these services, the service must be listed on their NHS website profile, otherwise their profile will not be up to date and they will therefore not meet the NHS website gateway criterion.”

It was also revealed that 2,650 contractors had not taken any action.

Picture: jax10289 (iStock)