Hub and Spoke Dispensing - UK Government Confirms Approach

Published: 03/04/25

Late last week, the UK Government confirmed that they will soon make the necessary changes to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to enable 'hub and spoke' dispensing between different legal entities (businesses), which is not currently permitted. Following extensive consultation, the Department of Health and Social Care concluded that of the two models put forward, they were moving ahead with the proposals that insist on the 'spoke' community pharmacy being the point of transfer to the patient, rather than deliveries being made direct from the 'hub' dispensary.

CPS welcomes this news, which is precisely what we called for in our response to the original hub and spoke consultation. Our members will soon have more options available to them when it comes to dispensing efficiency, whilst the all-important handover to patients will remain protected. It is this crucial step in the process that provides our teams with the opportunity to interact with patients and their representatives - and to deliver interventions designed to improve health now and in the future. The relationships and trust that our teams build with communities over the years might not be measurable, but they are essential to modern, proactive healthcare delivery.

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