PCN resources and guidance

Published on: 8th October 2020 | Updated on: 30th March 2022

This page contains guidance and resources to support LPCs and community pharmacy teams to get involved in Primary Care Networks (PCNs), including undertaking the requirements of the PCN Domain in the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) 2021/22.

If you have feedback on the resources below or resources you would like to share with others, please email the Community Pharmacy England Services Team.

For introductory information on PCNs, visit the Primary Care Networks page.


Click on a heading below for more information.

Resources to support LPCs to get their contractors involved in PCNs

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 035/21: Primary Care Networks – plans for 2021/22 and 2022/23 (September 2021)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing summarises the key points of relevance to community pharmacy in the NHSE&I guidance on Primary Care Networks – plans for 2021/22 and 2022/23 published on 24th August 2021.

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 028/21: Pharmacy Quality Scheme – Guidance for LPCs on the Primary Care Network domain (August 2021)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing contains guidance for LPCs on how they can help their pharmacy contractors to achieve the PCN domain of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2021/22.

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 031/21: Guidance for LPCs and Pharmacy PCN Leads on the role of a lead and the support that should be offered (August 2021)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing outlines the principles leads should follow in the discharge of their role, as well as providing guidance for Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) and Pharmacy PCN Leads on additional aspects of the role, including support that should be provided, appointment terms, funding for the role and providing clarity on the role’s remit.

Guidance for LPCs – How to help contractors get involved with Primary Care Networks (NHS England) (June 2019)

Primary Care Networks: A briefing for pharmacy teams (NHS England) (June 2019)

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 015/19: Supporting community pharmacies to engage with Primary Care Networks – potential actions for LPCs (March 2019)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing provides suggested actions which LPCs could take to engage with PCNs and to support contractor engagement in the networks. The suggested actions are drawn from Community Pharmacy England’s discussions with LPCs on how to work effectively with PCNs.

Presentation providing an introduction to PCNs for use at contractor meetings (Microsoft PowerPoint)

Template documents

Template letter to contractors about PCNs and seeking volunteers to act as local PCN leads (Microsoft Word)

Template Memorandum of Understanding between an LPC and the Pharmacy PCN Lead (Microsoft Word) (Updated August 2021)

LPC Template letter/email to PCN Clinical Directors introducing PQS 2021/22 (Microsoft Word)

Draft Agenda for LPC Pharmacy PCN Lead engagement events of PQS 2021/22 (Microsoft Word)

Further PCN related resources shared by LPCs

Resources to support contractors with the PQS PCN domain

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 029/21: Pharmacy Quality Scheme – Guidance for pharmacy contractors on the PCN domain (August 2021)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing contains guidance for pharmacy contractors on how they can achieve the PCN domain of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2021/22.

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 013/19: An introduction to Primary Care Networks (March 2019)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing provides an explanation for community pharmacy teams of what Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are and their role in the NHS. It can be used by LPCs as an introductory briefing on PCNs for contractors, as part of local work to engage contractors and their team in the work of networks.

A digital presentation (based on Briefing 013/19) is available which explains what contractors need to know about PCNs.

Resources to support Pharmacy PCN Leads with the PQS PCN domain

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 030/21: Pharmacy Quality Scheme – Guidance for Pharmacy PCN Leads on the Primary Care Network domain (August 2021)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing contains guidance for community pharmacy PCN Leads with how they can fulfil their role and support contractors to achieve the PCN domain of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2021/22.

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 031/21: Guidance for LPCs and Pharmacy PCN Leads on the role of a lead and the support that should be offered (August 2021)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing outlines the principles leads should follow in the discharge of their role, as well as providing guidance for Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) and Pharmacy PCN Leads on additional aspects of the role, including support that should be provided, appointment terms, funding for the role and providing clarity on the role’s remit.

Template documents

Template PCN Community Pharmacy Contact Information (Microsoft Word)
Developed from original template documents created by Lloydspharmacy.

Template letter/email to PCN Clinical Director – Newly appointed Pharmacy PCN Lead (Microsoft Word)

Template email/letter to PCN Clinical Director – Existing Pharmacy PCN Lead (Microsoft Word)

PQS Briefing summary for PCN Clinical Directors (Microsoft Word)

Template letter/email to contractors – New Pharmacy PCN Lead (Microsoft Word)

Template letter/email to contractors – Existing Pharmacy PCN Lead (Microsoft Word)

Contractor Survey to support the PQS PCN domain (Microsoft Word) to capture baseline data to support PCN Pharmacy plans.

Template meeting feedback form (for community pharmacy PCN leads to submit to the LPC following locality meetings) (Microsoft Word)
Developed from original template documents created by West Yorkshire LPC.

Draft agenda for Pharmacy PCN Lead discussions with contractors on PQS 2021/22 (Microsoft Word)
Developed from original template documents created by North Staffs & Stoke LPC.

PCN Community Pharmacy flu vaccination plan template (Microsoft Word)

Other Community Pharmacy England resources

Community pharmacy PCN Lead survey results
The survey results from a Community Pharmacy England survey for community pharmacy Primary Care Network (PCN) Leads to find out about their experience of meeting the PCN-focused activities in the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) Part 2 2020/21.

Resources for engaging with GPs and PCN leaders

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 040/21: Briefing for general practice teams – changes to the NHS community pharmacy contract in 2021/22
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing provides information for general practice teams on the changes to the community pharmacy contract in 2021/22, including the revised Pharmacy Quality Scheme.

Contractors may want to consider using the Briefing to aid local discussions with their GP practices on the changes to the contract and why additional referrals may be made to their practices. Pharmacy PCN Leads may find the Briefing useful as a tool to engage with their PCN Clinical Director.

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 035/21: Primary Care Networks – plans for 2021/22 and 2022/23 (September 2021)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing summarises the key points of relevance to community pharmacy in the NHSE&I guidance on Primary Care Networks – plans for 2021/22 and 2022/23 published on 24th August 2021.

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 018/19: A summary of the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) 2019/20 (April 2019)
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing summarises the Network Contract DES, highlighting aspects of relevance to Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) and community pharmacy contractors.

Template presentation – The community pharmacy offer to Primary Care Networks
This slide deck is for use by LPCs and others who are talking to local PCN and healthcare leaders about the way in which community pharmacy can contribute to PCNs. You can pick and choose the elements of the presentation that suit the needs of your event/discussion.

A guide to the community pharmacy offer
LPCs may wish to use the flyer as an aid for conversations they may be planning to have with local commissioners, GP practices, PCNs and other key stakeholders. We hope it will help to support community pharmacy to build good working relationships and enable collaborative working with PCNs. The document is adaptable for local use and can be used for promotion and engagement work.

PCNs: Community pharmacy integration
A one-page summary that LPCs and community pharmacy network leads can adapt to explain how LPCs will be supporting PCNs in their local area when they have reached this stage.

Community Pharmacy England – Working with GPs page
The above link includes the ‘Walk in my Shoes’ toolkit and The community pharmacy – A guide for general practitioners and practice staff.

Think Pharmacy prospectuses
The prospectuses provide introductions to specific pharmacy services and they have been designed to help LPCs and others to make initial service pitches to local commissioners and stakeholders. Think Pharmacy is a brand that has been successfully used by many LPCs to engage their local commissioners to think differently about the provision of services – to ‘Think Pharmacy’ as a solution.

The Think Pharmacy prospectuses are a great way to introduce pharmacy services to commissioners; each one highlights a healthcare challenge and explains how community pharmacy can provide a solution. These may be of particular use to LPCs as they gear up their work around PCNs as well as other commissioners.

Blogs

Community Pharmacy England Chief Executive Simon Dukes: PCNs will spur new thinking

Collaboration: new skill all community pharmacists need (a Community Pharmacy England feature which appeared in Pharmacy Business)

Community Pharmacy England CEO Blog June 2019

NHS England information and resources
Information and resources from other organisations

National Pharmacy Association (NPA) resources (Member login required)

Royal Pharmaceutical Society – PCNs and Community Pharmacists

British Medical Association main webpage on PCNs

King’s Fund webpage on PCNs

Health Foundation webpage on PCNs

Podcasts

Primary Care Commissioning (PCC) is publishing a series of short podcasts (no longer than 10 minutes) to help primary care providers and commissioners keep up to speed with the rapidly evolving story of PCNs. The first podcast is on the role of the Clinical Director and is available on the PCC website.

NAPC guidance

In May 2018, the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) published a guide to inspire further integration of community pharmacy within Primary Care Home (PCH) sites, with the aim of improving patients’ health and supporting them to manage their conditions. A forum of leaders within community pharmacy developed the guidance, examining ways in which further collaboration between PCH sites and community pharmacy could be encouraged to ensure pharmacies are integral to supporting the health and care needs of patients within PCHs.

The guide Primary care home: community pharmacy integration and innovation looks at ways Local Pharmaceutical Committees, community pharmacies and PCHs can make greater use of pharmacists’ skills as part of a PCHs’ whole population health management approach. It proposes a list of actions to galvanise PCHs and community pharmacy to come together to create innovative solutions to the current challenges and improve services for their local population; the recommendations can also be applied in seeking to improve collaborative working between community pharmacy and other professionals within PCNs.

The guide proposes five actions for LPCs and leaders of PCH sites/PCNs:

  1. start conversations between leaders of PCH/PCN and LPCs to work in partnership;
  2. adopt “Walk in my shoes” to gain an insight into each other’s working environment;
  3. develop a joint engagement strategy and co-design new services with patients and communities;
  4. align population health needs with the potential for community pharmacy; and
  5. explore the community pharmacy workforce needs to create workforce redesign and a culture of greater integration.

Frequently Asked Questions on PCNs

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) on PCNs, Pharmacy PCN Leads and their role in the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) can be found on the PQS FAQs page.

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