Remote Clinical Pharmacist Support for GP Practices,
PCN's & ICB's
Our team will support practice workflow and promote consistent clinical processes across individual practices and througout the Primary Care Network (PCN).
Clinical-Rx Pharmacists will collaborate with your existing team to work towards the shared goals of the practice. We adapt to suit the needs of your organisation to support delivery of the Network DES.
We aim to improve medication related inefficiencies, reduce GP workload, streamline clinical processes and monitoring, in turn further improving patient outcomes.
Primary Care Networks: A Coordinated Approach to Care
Primary Care Networks (PCNs) brings together primary, secondary, community and independent healthcare providers to provide a more coordinated and integrated service for patients. They are made up of clusters of general practices and other healthcare providers, such as pharmacists and social workers. PCNs were formed to meet the needs of our population and to alleviate pressure on General Practice. They also provide enhanced local services, such as home visits and preventive care. NHS England reported that there are currently 1,250 PCNs in England, and each practice in the network signs up to the Primary Care Network DES contract to meet its core requirements.
Clinical Rx® collaborates with primary care networks to provide a wide range of clinical services that support the needs of patients and practices. Our services include prescription management, medication reviews, long-term condition reviews, audit support, structured medication reviews, QOF support, and more. We tailor our services to meet the individual requirements of each practice in your network, and we regularly review our services to ensure that they meet the changing needs of your organisation.
£100 Million Pledged to Support Clinical Pharmacists
The PCN Clinical Director works with practices and other organisations to plan and budget for the delivery of PCN DES requirements. PCNs receive multiple funding streams, one of which is the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). ARRS funding can be used to recruit a growing list of roles to provide services across the network. Clinical pharmacists were included in the original ARRS funding pilot, and the number of clinical pharmacists per network has increased since 2019. By 2024, there is a target of one clinical pharmacist per practice.
The BMA has called for an increase in the number of clinical pharmacists in the NHS, and the government has pledged £100 million to support more clinical pharmacists working in general practice by 2023/2024. NHS England is committed to long-term funding for ARRS beyond 2024 and encourages PCNs to recruit these additional roles. Recruiting clinical pharmacists can seem daunting due to the training requirements and level of supervision required. At Clinical Rx® we have a dedicated team of senior pharmacists available to support junior pharmacist/technician training and development.
The Future of the Clinical Pharmacist Role
The role of the clinical pharmacist has evolved significantly since it was first introduced. Clinical pharmacists now play a variety of roles within primary care networks. However, they are typically divided into two categories: practice pharmacists and PCN pharmacists. Practice pharmacists work for a single practice, whilst PCN clinical pharmacists split their time across a cluster of practices. This can be challenging and lonely for pharmacists, which can lead to difficulties with retention and supervision.
The responsibilities of clinical pharmacists can range from medication reviews and prescription management to clinical audits and medication reconciliation. They are also heavily involved in medication management projects that promote cost-effective, evidence-based prescribing that is in line with local and national guidelines. As the number of pharmacists per PCN increases, the need for a streamlined collaborative approach is more important than ever.
With pharmacists now taking on a variety of niche roles, such as Clinical Director, medication optimisation lead, and care home specialists, they are playing an integral part in alleviating GP workload. Pharmacists are more involved in long term condition monitoring, audits and prescription management. The role has become more collaborative, with pharmacists working more closely with other healthcare professionals, such as GPs, nurses, and social workers to improve patient outcomes.
Clinical Rx® - Remote Clinical Pharmacist Team
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to change the way we work. As we move into a digital health world, we need to embrace services that can work efficiently remotely. At Clinical Rx®, we offer a full virtual pharmacy PCN team that can provide a wide range of services, including medication reviews, discharge letter reconciliation, prescription management, and more. In the past, PCN pharmacists would drive from practice to practice. However, our virtual pharmacy team works under one roof across your network. This allows us to provide more efficient and standardized care to your patients.
Our digital workforce communicates throughout the day to ensure efficient clinical services across your PCN. Our flexible team is available to tailor support to the changing needs of individual practices. We can also help you to standardise and optimise patient care for your local population. We aim to improve access to care, offer a wide range of services, better coordinate care, and involve patients more in their own care.
We believe that virtual pharmacy is the future of healthcare. We are committed to providing you with the best possible services to help you improve the quality of care for your patients.
Not sure what you need? Our virtual PCN team can provide a variety of services as part of your package. Our senior team is always on hand, and we pride ourselves on our dynamic approach to optimising and streamlining workflow across your network. With Clinical Rx®, you get no annual leave disruption, no wasted time, and no missed tasks. Just efficient, proactive teamwork!
If you’re a GP practice or PCN looking to hear more about our services; please fill out our contact form or contact us at: hello@clinicalrx.co.uk