Hub and spoke dispensing across legal entities will be enabled this year under hub-to-spoke models, rather than direct-to-patient supply, the government has confirmed.

In a parliamentary debate last week, pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock said the government would be 'going with' model 1 of hub and spoke, which he said had had 'overwhelmingly positive' responses in a public consultation.

And he said: 'we intend to lay draft secondary legislation in the coming weeks to come into force later this year'.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said it had been concerned about potential patient safety and regulatory issues with Model 2, which would see the hub pharmacy supply medicines directly to the patient.

And it said it had 'continued to reinforce' its view that only Model 1 (patient – spoke – hub – spoke – patient) should be introduced.

CPE had previously suggested that 'a proliferation of hubs that can dispense directly to patients' could 'undermine market entry controls'.

Ashley Kilgas, chief commercial officer at hub and spoke provider Centered Solutions welcomed the move, saying: 'These changes can’t come soon enough for many working in community pharmacy who are looking for ways to transform their businesses.'

He added: 'This is more important than ever following today’s funding announcement which, on its own, may not be enough to sustain community pharmacy. What is needed is a combination of funding and reform.'

And he suggested that enabling hub and spoke for all pharmacies could give them more capacity to deliver services and streamline the dispensing service 'while maintaining, and even increasing, item volumes'.

'This includes making hub and spoke an option for all pharmacies so they have more capacity to deliver services,' he said.

The hub and spoke announcement came ahead of the new community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF) for 2025/16, which included:

  • A global sum of £3.073 billion, including the medicines margin increased to £900 million and the single activity fee (SAF) increased by 19p;
  • An additional £215 million for contractors to earn through Pharmacy First, blood pressure and contraception services;
  • Some £193 million of historic ‘over-payment' written off.