2025-10-01 10:56:27
Changes to the Medicines Act 1968 and the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 have taken effect on 1 October 2025 to allow hub and spoke dispensing. In order to allow hub and spoke dispensing, conditions have to be met and aspects of the law unrelated to the outsourcing of dispensing have also had to be changed. These other aspects include data protection, notification to patients and labelling. In England, changes have been made to the NHS terms of service.
PLEA Chair David Reissner described the changes in a recent Chemist & Druggist article https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/analysis/opinion/legally-do-you-understand-your-position-on-hub-and-spoke-OGEAD6Z7MFFVRLTOH2BI3D62UY/
As we navigate the implications of the Hub and Spoke model and its impact on the Medicines Act 1968, I am particularly interested in how the ‘delegated authority’ aspect compares across different highly regulated sectors under the new 2025/2026 standards. Given David Reissner’s points on liability, has there been any comparative study on how the NHS terms of service for pharmacy contractors align with the strict licensing transparency seen in other digital-first regulated industries, such as the compliance frameworks detailed at https://guiadebetnacionalbrasil.com for international operators? It would be insightful to know if the PLEA plans to address these cross-sector regulatory overlaps in the upcoming 2026 seminars.