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With the government gearing up and pushing community pharmacies in England to adopt the hub and spoke dispensing model, stakeholders of the sector and industry leaders analyse the pros and cons related to the new concept. The model rose to prominence in 2015 in community pharmacy and the medicine supply chain in the UK, and has undergone a few consultations and reviews at the professional and governmental level since then. From a broader perspective, the industry agrees that the model will bring in efficiency to the system, much needed amid community pharmacy's flat funding settlement in England, at the same time highlighting some real challenges. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has so far released three reports on this matter and a review of the challenges and enablers of the hub and spoke in the UK in 2016. Besides, a review of international evidence and the report of a roundtable meeting was brought together in the supply chain with government and regulators in early 2020.

British Pharma giant, GSK is planning to invest more than £200 million (about $253 million) into the United Kingdom over the next two years to strengthen its manufacturing network. The money will be used to improve the pharmaceutical group's UK sites, including construction of new facilities and assembly lines, The Daily Mail first reported on Sunday. GSK has already earmarked £67 million to upgrade its manufacturing site in Montrose, Scotland, where a new production facility is being constructed. The upgrade is expected to help boost its production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for the future supply of medicines. Regis Simard, head of global supply chain, told the publication that their six UK manufacturing sites, including Montrose, are an important part of their global manufacturing network.

Over the last few years, we've seen the aftermath of Covid-19, with the demand for consumer health products being unprecedented and unpredictable, placing pressure on supply chains and labour market. In turn, the industry has experienced acute shortages across the healthcare sector, placing huge pressure on pharmacists, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Europe has an estimated shortage of around 50,000 public-sector doctors[1], which is set to increase in the coming years. While this shortage stems from several complex problems, there is a hidden force that could play a key part in helping to alleviate this burden. That force is the potential of self-care. Encouragingly, last month the UK government recognised the unique role that self-care can play through the introduction of its Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care. Through this, it has pledged to empower patients to manage their own health through several commitments, including improving accessibility to online tools and reclassifying medicines to make formerly prescribed options available over the counter.

With the UK General Election set for 4 July, pharmacy bodies are actively engaging with all political parties to secure support for the community pharmacy sector. They are pressing parties to address urgent issues such as pharmacy closures and medicine shortages. "The upcoming general election is a critical opportunity for us to strengthen supporters of community pharmacy in readiness for the new Parliament," said Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England (CPE). She stressed the need for unity within the sector in advocating for community pharmacy and raising awareness of the issues with election candidates from all parties. As the general election approaches, CPE has called upon all political parties to support pharmacies by "introducing a long-term sustainable funding model and reviewing the medicines supply chain, including much-needed short-term relief measures."

The UK GDP Association has been established as a non-profit organisation, operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC), with a focus on providing a broader support network, particularly for small and medium business enterprises and pharmacy wholesalers. In addition to delivering commercially viable Good Distribution Practice (GDP) consultancy services for simple models with smaller budgets, the association aims to function as a networking platform for Responsible Persons in the UK. As members of the association, companies and individuals can gain multiple benefits that will add value to their business through access to knowledge, discounted training, consultancy services, audit and inspection support, as well as resources like document templates for risk assessments, CAPA, deviations, and more. Moreover, members can enjoy the benefit of a like-minded support network via a dedicated GDP community hub, providing a platform for discussions, seeking advice, and fostering new relationships. "Our mission is to ensure that patient safety, GDP compliance, and excellent quality is paramount in all organisations, regardless of budget," the company said.

The trade bodies and four largest pharmacy chains in England, have jointly written to the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, warning that the sector needs urgent investment for sustainability. The letter from AIMp, CCA, NPA, PSNC, Boots UK, Lloyds Pharmacy, Well, and Phoenix UK, warned that the 30 per cent real terms funding cuts that pharmacies have faced over the past seven years have left many businesses in a cashflow crisis. The letter said that the government is facing a choice over the future of the country's 11,000+ community pharmacies, with permanent closures likely and medicines supply at risk if no urgent action is taken. "If the funding situation is not addressed, the sector is likely to move rapidly towards many permanent closures of pharmacies." The organisations say that once these closures start, they will be hard to stop, as the sector is now so fragile other pharmacies would struggle to pick up the slack.

DE Group, one of the UK's leading independent pharmaceutical wholesalers, has gone into administration. Pharmacy Business has learnt that the group was put into administration on Monday (May 9), putting hundreds of jobs at risk and stoking fears of a "sudden shock" to pharmaceutical supply chain. A community pharmacy contractor who has done business with the wholesaler for over 20 years told Pharmacy Business: "I fear for the worst. I don't think there will be enough supply of medicines to cope up with a surge at such a short notice." Bharat Shah, founder and CEO of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, another leading short-line wholesaler, said the news will send shock-waves and have "a massive impact on the market" because DE Group enjoyed a "substantial coverage and market share" in the independent pharmacy sector. "It won't be easy for anyone to take on the extra volume as it could jeopardise their own business," he said, adding that Sigma was actively looking into expanding its own operations in the foreseeable future.

Global instant logistics leader, Zipline is partnering with UK drone delivery startup, Apian Aero to launch a drone delivery programme of critical medical supplies for the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The new service, expected to begin in the autumn of 2024, will see delivery of medical supplies to hospitals, GPs and care homes, using electric, autonomous drones. Zipline announced the partnership on Sunday, and said drone delivery service will help provide timely access to prescription medicines, wound care products, joint replacement implants, and other frequently ordered medical products, which could allow healthcare providers to reduce the number of cancelled procedures, and thus decrease wait times. Also, the expansion of the programme will help in creating local job opportunities in the region, it added.