Article | Offsite dispensing and the Hub & Spoke model

As community pharmacy grapples with rising demand and limited resources, off-site dispensing is emerging as a practical, scalable solution. From October 2025, new legislation in England and Wales will allow independent pharmacies to participate in hub and spoke models, unlocking a major shift in how medicines are dispensed and delivered. In this article, Brian Duggan, Business Development Director at Optum and a practising pharmacist, explores what off-site dispensing means in practice and how it could help pharmacies work smarter, not harder.

What is off-site dispensing?

Off-site dispensing refers to the preparation and assembly of prescriptions at a central hub, rather than on the pharmacy premises. Medicines are picked, labelled and packaged off-site, then sent to the local pharmacy for final handout to the patient.

It’s a model that has long been used by larger pharmacy chains. But with the upcoming legal changes, independent pharmacies and smaller groups will be able to take part too — either by building their own hubs or partnering with third-party providers.

Three models to consider

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Pharmacies can choose from a range of models depending on their space, capacity and goals:

Enhanced in-house dispensing
For pharmacies that want to stay hands-on but work more efficiently, in-house automation can make a big difference. Tools like ScriptCheck® enable barcode scanning, automated label generation and digital clinical checks, streamlining processes without changing where dispensing happens.
Pick to patient
In this ‘just-in-time’ dispensing model, wholesalers pick and package prescriptions based on patient requirements, eliminating the need for pharmacies to stock and sort routine items. These items are sent back to the pharmacy, where the team focuses on labelling, final accuracy checks and service delivery. It’s a good fit for teams looking to reduce stockroom pressure without moving everything off-site.
Hub and spoke dispensing
Here, a centralised hub takes care of picking, labelling, and assembly. Completed prescriptions are then delivered to the pharmacy, ready for handout. This model supports high volumes and can unlock significant time savings, maximising clinical time by scaling services.

Why it matters now

The 2025 legislation unlocks new possibilities but the time to plan is now. By exploring scalable dispensing models, pharmacies can build resilience, protect clinical time and create space to grow. It’s a chance to move beyond survival and position pharmacy to thrive in a more clinical, patient-focused future.

This article was prepared by Brian Duggan in a personal capacity. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by the author of this piece belong to the author and do not purport to represent the views, thoughts and opinions of Optum.

This article is part of our ‘Reimagining the future of dispensing’ series. To explore other articles in the series, click the link below.