The hub-and-spoke model is not going away and it is a major threat to retail pharmacy and even if the legal barriers for operating a hub are removed there will not be a “level playing field” however it would give the independent pharmacies across the UK a wider choice as to which business model they adopt. The chief pharmaceutical officer for England Keith Ridge’s agrees with the government and claimed last year that the model could dispense two thirds of the countries prescriptions. This will also add to existing pressure on pharmacies and increase their risk of closure. In addition increase the threat of redundancies to pharmacists and their staff.
Written by Jackie Peck