Licensing and Using PQA Measures

PQA Measure Manual

The PQA Measure Manual includes the specifications for all PQA measures. PQA owns and maintains the performance measures, monitoring measures, and quality improvement indicators listed within this manual. The manual also provides guidelines and detailed specifications for implementation of the measures.

PQA Value Sets

PQA Value Sets, including National Drug Code (NDC) lists, are required to calculate PQA measures as specified. PQA updates the NDC lists twice annually and distributes the lists to licensees and authorized users of the measures.

PQA offers a subscription service for monthly NDC list updates to support more timely monitoring and quality improvement initiatives throughout the year. This monthly update is in addition to the biannual lists and will include the addition of new drugs that come to market as well as any new NDCs for existing drugs. 

• PQA National Drug Code Subscription FAQs

Licensing PQA Measures

Organizations must enter into a license agreement to obtain approval to use PQA Measures. Learn more by reviewing the PQA Measure Use and License Policy. For more information about licensing, email PQA at [email protected].

How to Get Technical Assistance

You may submit your technical assistance questions using the PQA Technical Assistance Request Form.

PQA Measure Use in the Medicare Part D Star Ratings

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will include 12 individual measures of quality in the 2024 Medicare Part D Star ratings, with five PQA measures within the domain of Drug Safety and Accuracy of Drug Pricing.

PQA Measure Use in the Health Insurance Marketplace Quality Rating System

The PQA Proportion of Days Covered: 3 Rates (PDC), International Normalized Ratio Monitoring for Individuals on Warfarin (INR), and Annual Monitoring for Persons on Long-Term Opioid Therapy (AMO) measures are included in the 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Quality Ratings System (QRS) (Measurement Year 2024). Qualified Health Plans requesting the Value Sets for the PDC, INR, and AMO measures can learn more here.

Updated July 2024