The government is working towards introducing legislation to enable hub and spoke dispensing between different legal entities in 2025, pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has confirmed.

His comments came in response to a written parliamentary question from shadow minister for business and trade Harriett Baldwin.

Ms Baldwin asked whether the government ‘plans to bring forward hub and spoke dispensing legislation for pharmacies in 2025’.

Mr Kinnock responded: ‘The government is working towards introducing legislation to enable hub and spoke dispensing between different legal entities in 2025. This change will be enabled via amendments to both primary and secondary legislation, and is subject to the usual parliamentary processes.’

The change was previously intended to come into effect on 1 January this year, but was delayed to give the government time to brief new ministers, according to Community Pharmacy England.

It later warned that this 'could take some time'.

When the delay was announced in September 2024, the government said it was 'not in a position' to implement the changes from January, and would give an update on timelines ‘in due course’.

At the time, the Company Chemists’ Association called the delay 'disappointing' and in its response to the NHS 10-year-plan consultation urged the government to make the change within the next year.

But one of the government’s proposed models, in which medicines are supplied directly from the hub to the patient, has come under some criticism.

CPE's director of legal, Gordon Hockey warned in October that the model could lead to ‘patient safety issues and the potential proliferation of hubs’.

And he raised concerns that without controls, the changes could 'disrupt' the community pharmacy market.

CPE said at the time that the Department of Health and Social Care had confirmed that it would 'continue to discuss the relevant issues' around hub and spoke dispensing with the negotiator.