2024-09-27 12:18:48
At our annual seminar in May, we were fortunate to have speakers from the Department of Health and Social Care giving us a presentation on proposals to amend the Medicines Act 1968 to allow hub and spoke dispensing when the hub pharmacy and the spoke pharmacy do not have the same owner. (Hub and spoke dispensing is already lawful when the hub and spoke have the same owner). The seminar took place only 24 hours after the Department had published its response to the consultation that had taken place, and the DHSC response showed that as a direct result of PLEA’s response to the consultation, no fewer than 5 changes were made to the proposals in the original consultation paper.
The DHSC speakers told us in May that the intention was to amend the law with effect from 1 January 2025. DHSC has now informed us that, following the General Election, they are in the process of briefing new ministers across all policy areas, including hub and spoke. This process takes time, and they are not now in a position to implement the hub and spoke proposals on 1 January 2025, as previously intended.
We will give members further news when we can.