Responding to the hub and spoke consultation outcome (13th May), CCA Chief Executive Malcolm Harrison said:
“We welcome the long-awaited publication of the hub and spoke consultation outcome.
We are pleased to see that the Department has taken forward the proposals, but also taken on feedback from the sector through the consultation period. The changes should allow new business models, without increasing the burden on existing process or adding confusion to patients.
However, given the huge upfront capital investment and ongoing operating costs of hub-and spoke dispensing models, and the financial strain all pharmacy businesses are currently facing, we think it is unlikely the sector with be able to benefit from these changes.
We support the Department’s intention to release clinical capacity in community pharmacy. Unfortunately, however, the proposed changes will not release any capacity unless the government’s funding for medicines supply is increased”.