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Northern Ireland’s largest pharmacy chain MediCare Pharmacy is set to become the first one in the country to adopt a hub and spoke dispensing model.

The chain, which has 53 branches, said it will use Centred Solutions’ FLOWRx hub and spoke technology and base the hub in Belfast where two automated dispensing lines will label around 3,000 packs an hour. 

The hub, which will be installed in late spring, will also have guided sorting and automated bagging and toting and all medicines processed there will be delivered back to pharmacy spokes the next day.

A phased roll-out of the hub and spoke model will start after the hub has been installed.

MediCare Pharmacy Group managing director Michael Guerin said: “By moving our original pack repeat dispensing offsite to a central location, we will be ensuring that our teams in branch have more time available to interact with and provide pharmacy services to our patients, so we can care for their health in the most efficient and effective way possible.”

Centred Solutions CEO Todd Siegel said: “Our engineering team has extensive knowledge of pharmacy workflows, data architecture, complex integrations and governance.

“Alongside them, our solutions team is made up of trained pharmacists and pharmacy logistics specialists who have spent years working within hub and spoke environments before joining us.”