Jhoots will use the funding to introduce a hub-and-spoke system to automate prescription deliveries and develop a digital platform that patients can use to request prescriptions online, HSBC announced yesterday (April 21).
The hub-and-spoke system is expected to “reduce the burden of manual processes on pharmacists”, freeing up their time to focus on other NHS services such as vaccinations and minor ailment services, the bank added.
Jhoots chief operating officer San Jhooty said: “We’re delighted to take this step into the digital world, so we can ease the pressure on our teams and allow them to focus on delivering the best quality care to customers.”
C+D has asked Jhoots whether it would consider allowing other independent pharmacies to use its hub-and-spoke system, should the law change to allow partnerships of this nature between pharmacies from different businesses.
Read more: Hub-and-spoke company registers ‘significant interest’ after DH consultation
During the pandemic, community pharmacy has been working more closely with other primary and community services, Ms Jhooty said.
This relationship is something that the pharmacy chain is keen to maintain as it invests to innovate and allow staff “to continue using their skills on the frontline”, she said.
The Department of Health and Social Care launched a consultation last month (March 16) on whether the law should be changed to allow all community pharmacies to operate under the hub-and-spoke dispensing system.
The proposals include two potential hub-and-spoke models:
| First model: Patient presents prescription to the spoke pharmacy. The pharmacy sends it to the hub, which prepares and assembles the medicines. These are sent back to the spoke, which supplies them to the patient. Second model: Same as above but the hub sends the medicines directly to the patient’s home rather than to the retail pharmacy.” |
Catch up on C+D’s Big Debate which asked: Could a hub-and-spoke model ever truly work for independent pharmacies?
