Member views on Hub & Spoke

Template response to Governments Hub & Spoke Consultation

Hub & Spoke dispensing involves prescription information being transferred from the spoke pharmacy to the hub to allow assembly and accuracy checking to take place at the hub location. The product is then transferred to the spoke and supplied to the patient from this location.

Minister Alistair Burt announced that the Government would consult on legislative changes to enable Hub and Spoke dispensing where the hub and spokes are not of the same legal entity. The aim is to introduce the legislative changes in October 2016.

The reasons cited for developing a Hub and Spoke model include:

  • Increased efficiency
  • Reducing costs
  • Providing time in spoke pharmacies for the delivery of more quality patient facing care including the delivery of enhanced services
  • Reducing picking / dispensing errors – this is not dependent on solely automation but a reduction in errors will also be achieved in manual hub operations and is due to lack of interruptions during the dispensing process

The NPA has serious concerns about this proposal from the Government.

This webinar recording can be used as evidence towards your CPD.

Download the presentation slides