There is nothing more disappointing than meeting a GP or practice manager and ending up frustrated because they weren't interested in understanding what you had to offer. If you want a practice to understand your business, you need to take the time to listen and understand general practice. This is the first part of earning their respect and trust.

• 1. Understand how a general practice operates and its contractual framework. PSNC has a useful guide to understanding general practice (psnc. org.uk). Do your homework and understand the practice. Think of the whole process like peeling an onion, layer by layer. Think big first.
• 2. Understand the direction general practice is moving in. A great resource is the GP Five Year Forward View (available at england.nhs.uk). Look at the aims of your local clinical commissioning group (CCG), and at a strategic plan summary online. Are there any CCG medicines optimisation incentives that practices are focusing on? How can community pharmacy help practices achieve their targets?
• 3. Look at the practice website. What clinics does it offer? How big is its patient list? Identify the clinicians, including the lead/partner GPs, their specialities and clinical interests. Is there a clinical area that falls in your area of interest?
• 4. Identify any case studies where community pharmacies have collaborated with GP practices, both on a local and national level (find examples at psnc.org.uk). Contact the lead GP who was involved in the collaboration for permission for a local GP to contact them to find out more. This may all seem a bit one-sided, but these first steps are imperative. Don't assume that you know everything, but showing that you understand some of the challenges the practice is facing, and offering solutions, is a powerful way to persuade the practice to reciprocate.