How to support your community pharmacy PCN lead.

What pharmacies can do to support their Primary Care Network (PCN) Lead?

Having a Primary Care Network Community Pharmacy Lead (PCN CP Lead) in place is essential so community pharmacies are represented at local PCN meetings to ensure that they are included in PCN discussions with other health and wellbeing providers in the area. Providing this input into PCNs is vital to avoid community pharmacy being side-lined. If you are lucky enough to have someone step forward to fulfil the role of PCN CP Lead in your area, please support them so they can continue to do a good job.

You can do this by engaging with any correspondence- answer PCN Lead emails, engage with them in setting up a WhatsApp group.

When they contact you, they need a response- they are looking for information which may help you, for example, if your PCN has asked the PCN Lead to find out if pharmacies in the area are providing a particular service, but not all the contractors reply, it places your PCN CP Lead in a very difficult position. It is important that your PCN CP Lead is able to present community pharmacy in a good light and ensure that the PCN ensure that you are not excluded from initiatives in the future due to a lack of engagement.

It also helps you to log any concerns or issues you may be experiencing and develop solutions.

Your PCN CP Lead is expending a considerable amount of time and effort to attend meetings each month, finding a locum, completing meeting feedback, emailing the PCN Clinical Director, making time for training days, preparing for evening PCN Zoom meetings, sending WhatsApp messages, and emails to develop a team approach.