HUB AND SPOKE
DISPENSING
In October 2025, significant legislative changes are set to come into force across the UK that will enable, though not mandate, the use of ‘hub and spoke’ dispensing models between registered pharmacies.
F
or pharmacy teams in Northern Ireland, the implications are both timely and complex and the changes are stirring
debate and curiosity across the sector.
As Health is a devolved matter, the changes must be approved by Stormont, not just Westminster. Following discussion at the Stormont Health Committee on Thursday 29 May 2025, MLAs approved the measure to proceed to an Assembly debate under the draft affirmative procedure during the week commencing Monday 23 June. The motion to approve the amendments of the Medicines Act 1968 and the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 - the 'HMRs' was approved by oral debate in the Assembly on 23 June. The amendments are aimed at enabling all community pharmacies to access hub-and-spoke dispensing of human medicines, should they so wish.
What the Legislation Will Do The amendments will not make hub and spoke models mandatory. Instead, they will permit registered pharmacies to enter into these dispensing arrangements with other registered pharmacies - something that current legislation does not allow unless both pharmacies are part of the same legal entity (e.g., within a large chain).
Under the new model, independent community pharmacies will now have the ability to collaborate under agreed terms. However, several conditions must be met before this can happen. Most notably: • A formal agreement must be in place between the hub and spoke parties.
• Pharmacies must clearly display a notice informing patients that prescriptions may be processed through such an arrangement.
• The arrangement must follow regulatory standards and maintain patient confidentiality and care quality.
The Approved Model During the public consultation, two hub and spoke models were proposed. However, following extensive feedback, only one model has been included in the initial legislation. This model works as follows: 1. The spoke pharmacy (e.g., a local community pharmacy) receives a prescription and sends it to…
2. The hub pharmacy, which prepares, labels and assembles the medicine items, then returns them to…
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