HUB AND SPOKE LEGISLATION A NEW ERA FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACY
The long-awaited introduction of legislation enabling hub-and-spoke dispensing between pharmacies under different legal entities marks a pivotal moment for community pharmacy across the UK.
A
fter years of consultation, this reform finally allows all operators - from large multi-entity groups to single
independents - to access the efficiencies and opportunities this model offers.
At its core, hub-and-spoke is not about cost cutting or automation for its own sake. Its real value lies in releasing capacity within local pharmacies, allowing teams to refocus on patient-facing services, clinical delivery and preventative care. Evidence from early adopters demonstrates that pharmacies can centralise 50% – 60% of total dispensing volumes, saving pharmacists an average of four hours per day. That reclaimed time can be reinvested into clinical services, chronic disease management and community health support - aligning directly with NHS long-term ambitions to enhance accessibility and reduce GP workload.
To help pharmacy teams navigate this new landscape, Centred Solutions has produced Hub and Spoke Unpacked - a practical guide to understanding the legislation and exploring the new business models it enables. The guide
20
scotpharm.com
outlines three main operational routes now open to UK pharmacies: • Intra-Group Model: Allows multi-entity pharmacy groups, or those with shared directors, to centralise dispensing across all branches under one umbrella.
• Managed Service Model: Enables a dispensing hub to provide assembly services to independent spoke pharmacies outside their legal entity, through clearly defined service contracts.
• Joint Venture Co-operative Model: Gives smaller independents the chance to collaborate locally, pooling investment to jointly operate a shared hub and achieve economies of scale.
Each model carries its own considerations in terms of complexity, governance, capital investment and risk distribution. However, all share the potential to deliver safer, more efficient dispensing and to strengthen the sustainability of community pharmacy.
The updated NHS Terms of Service set clear requirements including data sharing agreements,
responsible pharmacist oversight and business continuity planning - ensuring that quality and patient safety remain at the centre of operations.
Early success stories are already demonstrating tangible results: improved workflow, reduced near-miss incidents, more consistent stock management and new revenue opportunities for forward-thinking pharmacies.
Perhaps most significantly, hub-and-spoke is reshaping the professional role of pharmacists - allowing them to spend more time in direct consultation with patients, providing clinical interventions and contributing to wider public health outcomes.
The opportunity is here. The framework is in place. For pharmacies ready to take the next step, Hub and Spoke Unpacked offers clear, practical insight into structures, regulatory obligations and operational readiness.
As the sector embraces this new era, hub-and-spoke has the potential to redefine efficiency, collaboration and patient care within community pharmacy.
HUB-AND-SPOKE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDEFINE EFFICIENCY, COLLABORATION AND PATIENT CARE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
