Pharmacist Warned for Dishonest Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) Claim
Date of Decision: August 7, 2025
Registrant's Role: Pharmacist
Allegations:
- Submitted an NHS Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) claim for 2021/2022 confirming all eligibility criteria had been met, including required training, when this was not the case.
- Stated to head office management that training evidence was left at home, when aware no such evidence existed as the required training had not been completed.
- Knowingly acted dishonestly and lacked integrity by making the claim and misleading management.
Outcome: Warning (published for 12 months on the GPhC register)
GPhC Standards Breached:
- Standard 3 – Pharmacy professionals must communicate effectively
- Standard 5 – Pharmacy professionals must use their professional judgement
- Standard 6 – Pharmacy professionals must behave in a professional manner
- Standard 8 – Pharmacy professionals must speak up when they have concerns or when things go wrong
- Standard 9 – Pharmacy professionals must demonstrate leadership
Case Summary
Allegations
This case centres on the registrant’s conduct in relation to the NHS Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) for the year 2021/2022. The PQS is a contractual framework that rewards pharmacies for meeting a range of quality criteria, many of which relate to training, clinical governance, and patient safety. Between October 2021 and November 2022, the registrant, working as a pharmacist in a branch of a pharmacy chain, submitted a claim confirming that all eligibility criteria had been met. This included asserting that he had completed the required training.
The General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) allegation was that the registrant had not, in fact, completed this training. When challenged during a meeting with head office management on 17 November 2022, he claimed that his training certificates were at home. The reality, which the registrant was aware of, was that he had not undertaken the required training and therefore the certificates did not exist. This was deemed a deliberate act of dishonesty and a breach of integrity.
Findings
The Investigating Committee concluded that the registrant’s conduct fell significantly below the standards expected of a pharmacist. The false PQS claim amounted to an intentional misrepresentation to the NHS, and the subsequent untruth to management aggravated the seriousness of the matter.
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- Full allegations considered by the GPhC
- Panel findings and reasoning
- Outcome of the investigation
- Sanctions considered and imposed on the Pharmacist
- Key professional learning points
Original Case Document
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The original determination transcript is available to registered users.
- Download the official GPhC determination
- Full hearing transcript
- Detailed findings of fact
- Sanction reasoning
- Details of the pharmacy professionals involved