Understanding Polypharmacy: Managing Multiple Medications Safely
Medication management is a challenging process, and it becomes more difficult the more medications are involved. Polypharmacy relates to a patient taking more than one...
PCN Arrs Funding Scheme Available 2024/25
The NHS faces increasing pressure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, workforce crisis and underfunding.
Clinical Rx® offers remote Clinical Pharmacist primary care support. We provide rapid onboarding, senior pharmacist supervision and training for all of our clinicians.
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- Are you feeling overwhelmed by your workload?
- Does your primary care network or ICB have any unclaimed funding this financial year?
- Are you working long hours but still feel like you're not getting everything done?
- Are you not able to conduct medication reviews to the standard you would like because you don't have the time?
- Are your patients having to wait days to see you?
- Are you spending hours updating patients' medication lists or figuring out alternative medicines because of national supply shortages?
If so, you’re not alone. Many GPs are feeling the same way. The workload in general practice is increasing, and there are not enough resources to meet the demand. This is leading to burnout, stress, and anxiety among GPs.
Clinical Rx® is your trusted healthcare leader to help maximise your Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funding. We will work with you to find a solution that utilises our Clinical Pharmacy team the best way possible.
What is the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS)?
At Clinical Rx® we recruit, train, and supervise a full GP Pharmacy team to dial in remotely to support practice workflow. Our services cover a wide range of support from prescription management, medication reviews, high risk drug monitoring, medication reconciliation and audits.
Primary care networks can choose to use ARRS funding to recruit for multiple roles some of which are a clinical pharmacist, physician associate, social prescriber, paramedic, care coordinator or a health and wellbeing worker. From 2019, each PCN was able to employ one clinical pharmacist and by 2024, a typical network will include five clinical pharmacists (equivalent of one per practice). This has inevitably led to recruitment and retainment challenges with over 1300 PCN’s trying to recruit at the same time for the same roles.
How to Use the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to Grow Your Primary Care Network
The ARRS scheme is part of the Primary Care Network DES, which aims to increase capacity in primary care by recruiting additional roles. The scheme is flexible, with each PCN receiving an allocated budget to use as they see fit.
In recent years, there has been a shortage of GPs and nurses in training, so new roles have been added to the ARRS list. In March 2023, NHS England announced that advanced clinical practitioner nurses would be eligible for the scheme. NHS England is committed to long-term funding for ARRS beyond 2024,and encourages PCNs to recruit these additional roles.
However, simply placing new recruits into roles without a proper plan for integration, collaboration, and supervision can lead to retention issues and a perception that the scheme is not working.
At Clinical Rx®, we take a different approach. We work closely with PCNs to integrate our team with theirs. We ensure that patients and clinicians understand our competencies and strengths, so that we can all work together to improve patient care. We are also committed to adapting to the needs of each PCN, so that we can provide the right care at the right place and right time.
The Future of Primary Care: How PCNs Are Reshaping the Workforce
Primary care networks (PCNs) have expanded their skillset to meet the needs of their patients. In the year that the NHS turns 75, PCNs have exceeded their target of recruiting 26,000 additional patient-facing staff by a year. This is an achievement that primary care colleagues across the country should be proud of. On average, there are now 20 new staff members in each PCN, or four per practice.
It is more efficient for patients to see the appropriate specialist clinician for their initial assessment.
For example, a patient on a large range of medications would be better served by seeing rather than a GP. Similarly, someone with musculoskeletal issues would be better served by seeing a physiotherapist.
The recruitment of additional health professionals through the ARRS scheme has increased the capacity of general practice, allowing patients to see the right person for their needs more quickly. This has improved patient satisfaction and reduced the risk of long GP waiting times.
Clinical Pharmacists: Patient-Centred, Accessible, and Adaptable
Clinical pharmacists are patient-centred and accessible healthcare professionals. They have a long history of working in community pharmacies, where patients can easily speak to them without an appointment. As the pharmacy profession transitions into the digital age, clinical pharmacists are well-equipped to use new technologies to provide even more convenient and accessible care. They are perfectly skilled and adaptable to alleviate some of the pressures that general practice faces.
Clinical Pharmacists can overlook prescription management, QOF registers, investment and impact fund, structured medication reviews, long term condition management and drug monitoring. Our pharmacists can save GPs valuable hours daily and free up your practice pharmacist’s time to see patients face to face. Our Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians meet ARRS training requirements and have scope to further develop their competencies and become independent prescribers.
How Clinical Rx® is Making Supervision Easier for PCNs
The increasing demands on community pharmacy are leading some pharmacists to move into general practice. To be successful in this new role, pharmacists need essential supervision, training, and support. With these resources, pharmacists can thrive and grow in their new practice setting.
The increasing number of pharmacy professionals in PCNs has made supervision more challenging. The PCN DES contract requires each pharmacy professional to have at least one monthly supervision session with a senior clinical pharmacist and one every three months with a GP. A ratio of one senior clinical pharmacist to five clinical pharmacists is recommended, and peer support and supervision must be available for all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The new contract allows advanced practice pharmacists to cover all aspects of clinical pharmacist supervision, which can help to reduce the burden on GPs.
At Clinical Rx®, we understand that organizing supervision sessions can be difficult. We offer 24/7 supervision and support, and our team has access to a senior pharmacist who can help with queries that are beyond the competency of junior pharmacists. This helps to develop critical thinking and evidence-based practice, and it creates a safe learning environment. We believe that this level of supervision is essential for both patient care and the professional development of our pharmacists.
The subcontracting model - Why it works best
Pharmacists undergo rigorous training before they can practice independently. They typically complete a four-year degree followed by 12 months of on-the-job training. After that, they continue their education with postgraduate studies, such as the CPPE Primary Care Education Pathway, Clinical Diploma, or Independent Prescribing course. Pharmacists who have not worked in general practice may also need to complete induction training on how to use surgery computers, clinical coding, QOF, prescribing workflows, and audits. This training can be time-consuming and is often overlooked during the induction process.
There are three main methods of employing a pharmacist: using ARRS funding to recruit directly, locum hiring, or using a private provider. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, but overall, using a private provider such as ourselves can help to streamline the process and ensure that your practice has the pharmacist coverage it needs.
When you use ARRS funding to recruit directly, you have more control over the hiring process, but you may also have to deal with the time and expense of recruiting and onboarding a new pharmacist. Locum hiring can be a quick and easy way to get temporary pharmacist coverage, but it can be expensive and you may not have the same level of control over the quality of care provided.
Using a private provider like ourselves can help to mitigate some of the challenges associated with the other two methods. We have a pool of qualified pharmacists who are already trained and experienced in providing services to general practices. We can also help to manage the recruitment process, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Additionally, we fully incorporate the costs of recruitment, holiday and leave cover, and supervision into our service cost, so you can be confident that you are getting a complete and cost-effective solution.
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Clinical recruitment, without the headaches
Senior Supervision
Our GPhC accredited Clinical Pharmacists & Technicians have on demand support from senior Clinical Pharmacists and clinicians.
Independent and Non - Independent Prescribers
Our pharmacist development is fully compliant with ARRS training requirements including the CPPE Pathway and Independent Prescribing qualification.
Rapid Onboarding
Contact our Virtual Clinical Team. We are here to help you design a package that supports the needs of your organisation.
If you are considering employing a pharmacist, we encourage you to contact us to learn more about how we can help. We would be happy to discuss your specific needs and provide you with a customised proposal.