The number of Pharmacists working in Primary care is growing and rapidly increasing. However, did you know that not all Pharmacists work physically in Primary Care, some Clinical Pharmacists can work remotely. This novel way of working has revolutionalised medicines optimisation. This article explores how a clinical pharmacist can work remotely but still be an active and effective member of the multidisciplinary team.
Many UK GP practices now employ a practice pharmacist, but little is known about how GPs and pharmacists work together to optimise medications for patients, including complex patients with comorbidities. A recent study11 aimed to explore the effectiveness of collaborative working between GPs and Pharmacists. Results showed that good working relationships between the GP and pharmacist, where each profession understood the other’s skills and expertise, was key – for collaborative working.
We must remember that Pharmacists are not aiming to be ‘mini GPs’ in Primary Care. However, they are experts in medication management and optimisation. Their main role, but not limited to, is to support the GP Practice with the medication aspect of Primary Care.
At Clinical Rx®, Pharmacists work remotely and through our secure platform, we can access your clinical system and provide you with a bespoke service that meets your needs.
Whether it be repeat authorisation, medicine reviews or medicines reconciliation – we have the solution. What is unique about the Clinical Rx® team – is that all the services we provide are monitored by a senior pharmacist team, this is to ensure that all our clients receive the best and safest service.
How do we work within the multidisciplinary team?
Our Remote pharmacist service is designed to seamlessly integrate with your current staff and provide additional support for your healthcare team. Our platform allows for easy communication and collaboration between our remote pharmacists and your team so that medication management is smoother and more efficient. We work with your existing system, whether it be EMIS or System One, to ensure that there is no disruption to your workflow.
Many GP Practices consist of nurses, GPs, receptionists, pharmacy technicians and Pharmacists – to name a few! Our goal at Clinical Rx® is to integrate with the current team. Our remote pharmacists are available during normal working hours. This means that tasks and messages can be sent and received during this time. When there is a query, we discuss it within our pharmacy support platform. If needed, the query is escalated to a GP or another action – such as contacting the patient to book a review, is carried out. This ensures we provide optimised care for your patients and work with your team to improve outcomes and save GPs time.
For improved outcomes, we believe that communication is vital between the different professions. At Clinical Rx®, we welcome feedback and reviews, so we can continue to offer the best possible service. By working together, the team can better address the complex needs of patients, improve outcomes, and enhance the overall patient experience. Ultimately, the goal is to provide high-quality care in a collaborative and patient-centred approach.
Our Pharmacists are not limited to medication management only. We understand that every GP Practice has different needs at times. Whether it be assistance with protocols, quality improvement work or additional work for CQC inspections – we can help, contact us for more information.
References: 1. Duncan, P. et al. (2020) ‘Barriers and enablers to collaborative working between GPS and Pharmacists: A qualitative interview study’, British Journal of General Practice, 70(692). doi:10.3399/bjgp20x708197.
