Measure Licensing

Licensing PQA Measures

Licensing PQA measures ensures that organizations use the measures according to PQA’s specifications and subject to PQA’s intellectual property rights and limitations. Licensing enables PQA to maintain quality and consistency in the use of its measures. Inconsistent measurement leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities. PQA ensures that all uses of PQA measure are covered under the appropriate license agreement and supports accurate calculation of measure results.

PQA Measure Manual & Value Sets

The PQA Measure Manual includes the specifications for all PQA measures. PQA owns and maintains the measures listed within this manual. The manual also provides guidelines and detailed specifications for implementation of the measures. PQA Value Sets, including National Drug Code (NDC) lists, are required to calculate PQA measures as specified. The PQA Measure Manual and Value Sets are published and available to licensees and authorized users of the measures each year at the end of February. An update is published at the end of July to refresh the NDC lists.

Because new NDCs are released continuously, PQA offers an optional 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 standard PQA Measure Manual and Value Set publications and includes the addition of new drugs that come to market as well as any new NDCs for existing drugs.

Types of PQA Measure Licenses 

PQA collaborates with organizations that want to use PQA measure specifications in their products, programs or services to determine the most appropriate type of license.

All uses of PQA measure specifications, and any PQA-owned and copyrighted intellectual property, require an appropriate license agreement with PQA. License fees, if applicable, are based on how the measures are used. Licenses are typically issued on an annual basis. PQA reserves the right to audit and revoke licenses if terms are violated.

Commercial License

Organizations that want to use PQA measures in a product or service that is sold, licensed or distributed to customers for commercial purposes, or for any external reproduction, distribution or publication of measure specifications, must obtain a commercial license. These organizations often include vendors, consultants, pharmacy benefit managers, and accreditation organizations. Commercial use of PQA measures includes but is not limited to entities that offer products or services for:

• Closing gaps in care
• Population health activities
• Calculating measure rates for submission to external customers or programs
• Measure interpretation and explanation

Noncommercial License

Organizations may use PQA measures for internal quality improvement (i.e., self-assessment) purposes only with a noncommercial license. These organizations often include health plans, pharmacies, physicians, accountable care organizations, or other entities engaged in the direct provision of health care services. Public reporting of PQA measure rates by such entities is not permitted without the explicit written permission of PQA.

Government License

PQA supports federal, state and public-sector entities’ use of PQA measures in their programs. PQA grants use of PQA measure specifications for this purpose under an appropriate license.

Research License

PQA may grant permission for use of PQA measures within a specific research project with a research license.

Additional Request Forms

Prohibited Use of PQA Measures

Certain uses of PQA measure specifications and related materials are prohibited.

Unlicensed Use

• All uses of PQA measure specifications and any PQA-owned and copyrighted intellectual property require entering into an appropriate license agreement with PQA.
• If you suspect an organization is using PQA Measures without a license, please contact Contracts@pqa.org.

Use of Retired Measures

• Retired measures are no longer maintained by PQA. Retired measures may be used in products, programs and services only under the appropriate custom license agreement.

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Notices & Disclaimers

PQA is a registered trademark of PQA, Inc.  All PQA measures and specifications are owned by PQA, Inc., may only be used in accordance with a license agreement entered into with PQA, according to the terms of the license agreement and the measure specifications, for the specifically licensed and intended purpose, and with appropriate attribution to PQA. Modifications of PQA measures or uses contrary to the measures’ intended purposes is permitted only with PQA’s prior written permission. PQA disclaims any and all representations, warranties, and endorsements about the quality of any organization or clinician that uses or is measured by any PQA measure. All licensee-created analysis, interpretations, and conclusions based on any use of PQA measures are solely the product of the licensee, and PQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such analysis, interpretations, and conclusions. PQA disclaims any and all liability arising from any use of or reliance on any of its measures.