ARRS Pharmacist Support for PCNs
ARRS Support for Primary Care Networks
Managed clinical pharmacy services for Primary Care Networks, deliverable within ARRS funding
Virtual Pharmacist delivers a fully managed remote clinical pharmacy service to PCNs and GP practices. We hold clinical responsibility, clinical governance and quality assurance for the work delivered.
PCNs commonly fund this service from their ARRS budget, which is one of several routes permitted under the Network Contract DES.
How Will This Help My Practice?
Clinical governance held by us
Service scope aligned to ARRS roles
Service scope can match PCN demand
“The team is consistently reliable. Phones are always answered and emails come back the same day. It’s made a real difference to how we run our medication reviews.”
“Fast email replies and clinical input whenever we need it. They picked up our medicines work seamlessly and delivered from day one.”
“Excellent service from start to finish. Easy to reach, quick to reply, and they clearly know NHS workflows inside out. We couldn’t recommend the team more highly.”
How ARRS funding works with a commissioned service
Can a PCN use ARRS funding for an outsourced service?
Yes. The Network Contract DES allows a PCN to engage additional roles through a service contract with a third party, not only by employing someone directly. Our ARRS funding guide sets out how the funding works. We scope every engagement from the outset, so ARRS reimbursement runs smoothly from day one.
Why a commissioned service protects your ARRS reimbursement
You are buying an agreed workstream, delivered to an agreed schedule, with cover during any absence handled by us. That means your ARRS funding pays for delivery that keeps happening, rather than for a role that can sit vacant between hires. Compare that against your own recruitment history and the difference is usually significant.
What the network keeps, and what we take
You keep full clinical responsibility for your patients, your protocols and your prescribing decisions. We hold supervision, continuing professional development, indemnity and clinical governance for everyone delivering the work, under our published clinical governance and data security framework. Governance is simply part of what we deliver, which is the practical distinction between this and agency staffing.
How the work is evidenced
Everything is recorded in your own clinical system as it happens, so your audit trail is the patient record itself rather than a separate report to compile. Alongside that, you get clear reporting on what was completed and what it changed, at whichever level commissioned the work: practice, network or federation, agreed with you at scoping.
What it costs
Every quote is built around the workstreams you hand over and the size of the practices behind them, so it reflects what you are actually buying rather than a generic day rate. A short scoping conversation gets you a clear, tailored quote with no obligation attached, and a straight answer on whether the numbers work for you.
Read our clinical governance and data security framework, or tell us which workstream you would like covered.
How Does Virtual Pharmacist Work?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a substitute for employing our own ARRS roles?
No, this is a different model. Employing ARRS roles directly means the PCN holds the clinical, governance and HR responsibility for those staff.
Our service is a managed clinical service: Virtual Pharmacist holds clinical responsibility and clinical governance for the work we deliver. Many PCNs use both models in combination depending on their priorities.
Can you support DES and long-term condition delivery?
Yes. Our clinical service covers medication reviews, chronic disease optimisation, prescribing safety, and workload reduction aligned with PCN priority areas under the DES.
