Hub and spoke is not a panacea’, says AIMp CEO Dr Leyla Hannbeck

Speaking at the SIGMA Conference 2023, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), spoke about the increasing
number of prescriptions, lack of funding and other existing challenges.

Leyla explained how the pharmacy sector is facing immense challenges which are disrupting the delivery of services as well as impacting its growth.

She further spoke about the hub and spoke model, and how it is unable to solve the issues.

“Community pharmacies are clogged with prescription volume, and this is preventing them from supporting the wider NHS as well as offering services,” she said.

She said that the prescription volumes have rocketed, while the number of pharmacies in England has declined from 11, 522 in the year 2021-22 to 11, 414 in 2022-23.

When it comes to Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) pharmacies, there has been a loss of 1055 branches from 2022 to 2023.