What Is a Primary Care Network?
Primary Care Networks (PCNs) bring together groups of GP practices, pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), and community partners to deliver more coordinated, proactive care.
The goal of every PCN pharmacy support system is to improve patient outcomes through integrated working and smarter use of clinical resources.
However, managing workloads, meeting contract targets, and ensuring consistent medicines management across practices can quickly become overwhelming, especially with growing patient demand and staff shortages.
Primary Care Networks (PCNs) bring together groups of GP practices, pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), and community partners to deliver more coordinated, proactive care.
The goal of every PCN pharmacy support system is to improve patient outcomes through integrated working and smarter use of clinical resources.
However, managing workloads, meeting contract targets, and ensuring consistent medicines management across practices can quickly become overwhelming, especially with growing patient demand and staff shortages.
Common Challenges in PCN Pharmacy Management
Running a Primary Care Network efficiently requires balancing clinical quality with operational efficiency. Common challenges include:
High administrative burden from prescriptions, document processing, and audit compliance
Inconsistent medicines management across practices and systems
Limited clinical capacity for long-term condition reviews and prescribing clinics
Pressure to meet QOF, IIF, and local contract indicators
Staff turnover and recruitment difficulties impacting continuity of care
Increasing demand for PCN pharmacy support to maintain safe, efficient prescribing and meet growing patient needs across multiple practices.
That’s where Ashtons Virtual Hub provides tailored pharmacy support for PCNs and GP practices.
Our Virtual Hub delivers scalable, remote PCN pharmacy support that helps practices improve patient safety, reduce workload, and enhance medicines optimisation.
We integrate seamlessly with your systems and protocols to ensure compliance, continuity, and measurable results.
Our Core PCN Pharmacy Support Services
Clinical Reviews
Routine, structured medication reviews focused on outcomes and high-priority patient cohorts.
Prescription Management
Streamlined processing of medication requests and queries to reduce workload and delays.
Document Processing
Review and action of clinical documents aligned with your practice or PCN protocols.
Long-Term Condition Management
Ongoing care and monitoring of patients with chronic conditions to improve compliance and health outcomes.
Clinical Audits
Comprehensive reviews to support risk stratification, best practice, and regulatory compliance.
Medicines Management Reporting
Data-driven insights to enhance prescribing safety and drive smarter decision-making.
Appointment Booking
End-to-end coordination of patient appointments to reduce administrative burden.
Prescribing Clinics
Targeted prescribing sessions to increase capacity and focus on specific population needs.
Contract Indicators (QOF, IIF, Local)
Support to meet national and local contract requirements with measurable performance outcomes.
Medicines Reconciliation
Accurate medication record updates to improve safety and reduce errors.
Why Choose Ashtons Virtual Hub for PCN Pharmacy Support?
Specialist pharmacy expertise built around PCN needs
Proven systems that integrate with EMIS, SystmOne, and other platforms
Scalable support for practices of all sizes, from short-term cover to long-term partnerships
Data-led insights to track performance, safety, and patient outcomes
Trusted by NHS providers nationwide for quality and compliance
Specialist pharmacy expertise built around PCN needs
Proven systems that integrate with EMIS, SystmOne, and other platforms
Scalable support for practices of all sizes, from short-term cover to long-term partnerships
Data-led insights to track performance, safety, and patient outcomes
Trusted by NHS providers nationwide for quality and compliance
“I would not hesitate in recommending Ashtons to other organisations facing similar challenges. The value lies in Ashtons' ability to tailor services, promote teamwork, and bring efficiency to primary care.”
Operations Lead | West Devon PCN
Strengthen Your PCN Pharmacy Support Today
Strengthen Your PCN Pharmacy Support Today
If you’re a PCN or GP practice looking to improve efficiency, safety, and patient care through expert pharmacy support, click here to find out more.