Paydens Pharmacy Group, one of the first multiple pharmacies to adopt hub and spoke model last year, revealed that the move has resulted in significant time
savings in store.
Centralising dispensing of repeat prescriptions relieves pressure in pharmacy branches and releases time to deliver revenue generating services, the group said.
The group created a hub in Maidstone, Kent, to service its highest dispensing branches. The hub uses Centred Solution's FLOWRx Hub Auto to dispense their original
pack repeat prescriptions. The group put in the first FLOWRx Hub production line in spring 2022 and then added in a second line in the autumn as they increased
production and moved more stores to the hub and spoke model.
The innovative solution interfaces with EMIS PMR, Omnicell's Robotic Dispensing System and Universal Logistics Management software as well as Victoria OS ordering
software.
The hub operation runs during the day Monday to Friday and produces an average of 33,289 packs per week for just under 9,000 patients, leaving plenty of scope to
ramp up. The hub is currently dispensing 79.7% of repeat prescription original packs requested by the group's busiest stores.
Lo's Pharmacy, a Yorkshire-based pharmacy chain is adopting a new approach to hub and spoke in a first of a kind model to be used in the UK.
The pharmacy will centralise its repeat prescription dispensing service for original packs with the support of its medication wholesaler.
The independent group, which has 25 NHS community pharmacies across Yorkshire, will install Centred Solution's Automated FLOWRx Hub product at its central dispensing
facility in Wath-Upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire.
But unlike other FLOWRx customers, who pick packs from a robotic dispensing system or internal warehouse, Lo's Pharmacy will receive patient-specific flow totes
directly from their wholesaler which can then be processed by their hub.
This workflow has not been used anywhere else in the country until now and it is a revolutionary approach to hub and spoke dispensing, showing what can be achieved
when key players decide to collaborate. It further demonstrates that there are range of variations of hub and spoke models available and accessible to independent
and multiple community pharmacies across the UK.
Omnicell Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicell - an American healthcare technology company, has signed an agreement with the shareholders of Hub and Spoke Innovations Limited to acquire Hub and Spoke Innovations.
Hub and Spoke Innovations Limited is distributor of the Pharmaself24 prescription collection kiosk in Great Britain.
The move will complement Omnicell's total solution technology portfolio for retail pharmacy in the UK, including a pack-pick dispensing robot, automated MDS filling
machine and eMAR solution, thereby helping pharmacies to improve workflows and offer a 24/7 access to medications and patient care.
It will also help community pharmacies achieve their goals, as they increasingly look at ways to make their businesses more efficient and free up staff to offer more pharmaceutical care and services to patients.
In short, the deal would enable Omnicell to offer a wider range of digital technologies to streamline retail pharmacy operations, allowing pharmacists to spend more time with patients and focus on value-added, revenue-generating healthcare services, such as vaccinations.
Jhoots Group, a West Midlands based independent community pharmacy chain, has unveiled plans to expand its digital services after securing a funding worth
£8.23m from HSBC bank.
The new money will allow the groups branches to offer a digital platform for customers to request prescriptions online, enabling the implementation of a hub and
spoke dispensing system to automate prescription deliveries.
The innovation aims to reduce the burden of manual processes on pharmacists, allowing staff to use their time efficiently and support the NHS by offering vaccines
and minor ailment medicine services.
San Jhooty, chief operating officer at Jhoots Group, said: "When faced with the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, primary and community services came
together to support the community and each other.
Bristol-based Titan PMR, a technology firm specialising in PMR systems for community pharmacies, is set to roll out an innovative platform named 'Titanverse,'
that it claims will redefine pharmacy management, offering comprehensive solutions extending beyond prescription management.
This new platform takes a versatile approach, efficiently managing all facets of pharmacy operations, from high-level management down to daily tasks, according to
top company officials.
"Our aim is to reshape pharmacies into genuine health hubs, providing advanced services and harnessing state-of-the-art technologies," said Tariq Muhammad, CEO of
Titan PMR. "Titanverse, our latest offering, is positioned to ignite this transformation, revolutionising clinical services in the same way its predecessor
revolutionised dispensing. With Titanverse, we have the vehicle to drive this vision forward, placing pharmacies at the forefront of primary care in the future."
Titanverse adopts a Teams approach, catering to pharmacies with multiple locations or specific focuses. It furnishes real-time analytics and employs a color-coded
rating system for swift performance evaluation.
Moreover, the platform eases operations by enabling task delegation, encompassing clinical checks and dispensing, all while backing private services with adaptable
templates and workflows.