AI-powered NHS pharmacy PillTime has announced the launch of its Monitored Dosage System (MDS) hub to support community pharmacists.
On 1 October 2025, legislation came into effect allowing pharmacies to engage in ‘hub and spoke’ dispensing across different legal entities, meaning that they can outsource their dispensing, including MDS services.
Bristol-based pharmacy PillTime, which uses AI and robotics to pouch medications, has rolled out a pilot programme allowing community pharmacies to trial an MDS partnership using a select number of patients.
Sophie Bartlett, commercial director at PillTime, said: “The approval of hub and spoke dispensing across legal entities is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the future of community pharmacy, and we have worked hard to make this a reality.
“PillTime has worked tirelessly with our partners and policymakers to make this a reality, and we are proud to launch our MDS pilot to help pharmacy leaders seize the benefits of this legislation.”
This effort began in November 2024, when organisation representatives met with more than 30 MPs, including Labour MP for North Somerset, Sadik Al Hasson, a former pharmacist, to call for urgent action.
A roundtable in December 2024 further explored the consequences of delayed legislation, bringing together pharmacists, pharmacy leaders, legal experts, MPs and vendors.
The need for reform was underscored by PillTime’s survey on MDS, which found that 83% of pharmacies offer MDS dispensing, but 74% of services report they are already at full capacity.
Nearly half (47%) of pharmacy owners reported that they are actively planning or researching outsourcing options via hub and spoke models.
“Forward-thinking pharmacy leaders, the ones who have already transformed their businesses into efficient, patient-focused service providers, now have an opportunity to reimagine their MDS.
“This programme is designed for those who see MDS not just as a dispensing task, but as a professional duty of care to protect patients and deliver on neighbourhood healthcare objectives under the NHS 10 year plan,” Bartlett added.
Meanwhile, in August 2024, NHS England signed a contract with CLEO Systems for a stand-alone electronic prescribing solution, to be rolled out across pharmacies participating in the Independent Prescribing in Community Pharmacy Pathfinder Programme.
The aim of the Pathfinder programme is to support independent prescribing for patients in primary care, in preparation for September 2026 when all newly qualified pharmacists will be registered as independent prescribers.
