For GP practices and primary care networks
Remote pharmacists for GP practices
Request a clinical pharmacist to support your GP practice or primary care network remotely. Tell us which medicines work needs covering, the clinical systems you use and the sessions required.
Staffing a GP practice? Explore GPs, clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and practice nurses.
The silent animation selects medication reviews, the practice's EMIS system and a Tuesday morning session, then reviews and sends a remote pharmacist enquiry. The acknowledgement explains that checks, access, induction, support and terms need agreement before booking.
Specify the clinical pharmacy work
A remote pharmacist needs a defined role within the practice team. The proposed duties, experience and support arrangements determine whether an assignment is suitable.
Medication reviews and patient queries
Describe the consultations or medicines questions involved, the patients to be supported and the time allocated. Agree how the pharmacist can obtain clinical input or arrange an in-person assessment when needed.
Medicines reconciliation and follow-up
Identify work arising from hospital correspondence, changes to medicines and follow-up tasks. Explain how records are checked, decisions documented and outstanding actions handed back to the practice.
Prescribing and medicines improvement work
State whether prescribing is required, along with the clinical scope and local arrangements. For audits or medicines improvement projects, define the task, access needed and person reviewing the work.
What to include in a remote pharmacist request
- Practice and sessions
- The practice or PCN, country of service, dates, session hours and whether there are any on-site induction or attendance requirements.
- Duties and experience
- The patient work or task list, expected workload, prescribing requirements and relevant primary care experience.
- Systems and access
- Your clinical system, such as EMIS or SystmOne, approved remote access and consultation tools, and who will arrange individual accounts.
- Supervision and handover
- The clinical lead, support available during sessions, escalation contacts, documentation process and responsibility for follow-up.
- Pay and terms
- The proposed rate, paid hours, payment arrangements and cancellation terms. Identify the person authorised to confirm the booking.
We are building our network across these roles. An enquiry lets us review the requirement and suitable availability; cover is confirmed only after the person, required checks, pay and terms are agreed.
Remote sessions
Ready before the session starts
Secure access, two-step sign-in and a named contact for escalation are agreed before any remote work begins.
Request remote coverArrange remote access before the first session
Agree the approved equipment, connectivity, private workspace and access to the records needed for the role. Test access and communication with the practice before patient work begins. Personal NHS authenticators and passcodes must not be shared.
The practice and pharmacist need an agreed route for urgent concerns, failed connections and patients who need to be seen in person. Set out who follows up unfinished tasks after a session. NHS England’s remote consulting guidance is a useful starting point for English practices; use the arrangements applicable to the service’s country.
Check prescribing and primary care experience separately
Confirm the professional registration required for the service: GPhC in Great Britain or PSNI in Northern Ireland. If prescribing is part of the role, check the relevant prescribing status, competence, indemnity and local authorisation. A prescribing qualification does not make someone suitable for every patient group or task.
CPPE’s Primary care pharmacy education pathway supports pharmacists and technicians in eligible primary care roles in England. Check the training, supervision and any exemption requirements that apply to your post. ARRS reimbursement and funding eligibility are assessed separately, and a locum enquiry has no bearing on them.
Free to register, with no work-finding fees.
Looking for remote pharmacist work?
Register your availability, primary care experience and the clinical systems you have used. Include prescribing status, relevant training and the duties you are comfortable undertaking. State whether you can attend an induction or occasional session on site.
Registration is free. We are building our network and will review your details when suitable requests arise. A remote role still needs agreed hours, access, support and booking terms before you start.
Checks
Checked before anyone is booked
We check registration on the public register, right to work and indemnity before a locum can be booked.
Checks and standardsBooking questions
Is this page for locum GPs or pharmacists?
This page covers clinical pharmacists working remotely with GP practices and PCNs. For GP doctor, practice nurse or technician cover, choose the relevant profession in our general practice services.
Does every remote pharmacist need to be an independent prescriber?
It depends on the work. Specify whether prescribing is required. For a prescribing assignment, relevant professional status, competence and local arrangements must be checked before confirmation.
Can a pharmacist work with our clinical system immediately?
System experience and working access are separate checks. Confirm experience with your setup, arrange approved individual access and allow time for induction before the first session.
Is a remote locum automatically eligible for ARRS reimbursement?
No. Funding depends on the current scheme and the particular arrangement. The practice or PCN should check its eligibility and any role, training or supervision conditions separately.
What is the booking fee for remote pharmacist cover?
£19.99 + VAT per locum, per day worked. The practice contracts with and pays the pharmacist directly, including any agreed expenses. Our separate daily booking fee also applies to a part-day; confirm the sessions and costs in the booking terms.
Official role information
Use the current guidance and the requirements for the particular workplace.
Sources checked .
Register for remote pharmacist cover
Register free, then send the dates, duties and experience required. We’ll discuss the next steps with you.