Boots has opened a regional dispensing hub in Basingstoke as part of its pharmacy transformation programme.
The 20,000-sqft centre will speed up the delivery of repeat prescriptions to 150 stores across the South of England.
Anne Higgins, pharmacy director at Boots, said: “As the UK’s largest dispenser of prescriptions, we are excited to announce the opening of our first regional dispensing hub in Basingstoke.
The automated trolleys(Image: Boots)
“In addition to offering a faster, better service for our repeat prescription customers, this transformation is centred on empowering our talented pharmacy teams to spend more time directly with their customers – enhancing the care, expert advice and personal attention available in every store.
“Warmly welcomed by our pharmacists, the regional dispensing hub allows them to further expand the healthcare services they can offer in the heart of their communities and provide even more opportunities to develop their clinician skills and advance their careers with us.
“This development supports the government’s 10-Year Plan for the NHS, which is focused on moving healthcare away from hospitals and into communities, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.
“We look forward to opening more regional dispensing hubs across the UK to support our customers, colleagues and the NHS as we continue to broaden and modernise our pharmacy operations and services.”
Using advanced digital technology and automation, the hub will allow Boots to dispense repeat prescriptions centrally rather than in individual stores.
Medicines will be delivered from the hub to stores within 24 hours of a prescription being issued.
This will allow pharmacy teams to spend more time offering advice and support to customers.
The new model will also free up time for dispensing acute prescriptions and delivering additional healthcare services.
It is expected to strengthen collaboration with GPs and improve patient care.
The hub has created 50 jobs in Basingstoke, including roles for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and dispensing operatives.
Boots will offer an NVQ Level 2 qualification for dispensing operatives as part of its commitment to training and career development.
Ms Higgins said: “Our ambition is to grow our pharmacy business by offering an unrivalled experience to customers – blending the expertise of our pharmacists with the latest technology.
“Our transformation journey is already making a significant difference to our customer satisfaction stores and we hope to see these continue to improve as we roll out further initiatives like regional distribution hubs.”
The Basingstoke hub is part of Boots’ wider strategy to improve access to healthcare on the high street.
The company has introduced several digital enhancements in recent years, including the ability for customers to track their repeat prescriptions online.
Boots now offers more than 180 NHS and private healthcare services.
All Boots pharmacies in England provide the NHS Pharmacy First service, the NHS Contraceptive service, and NHS Blood Pressure Checks.
The company has also expanded its private vaccination service to include RSV, Covid-19, and MMR vaccines.
Boots plans to gradually onboard 150 stores in the South of England to the Basingstoke hub by April 2026.
The company intends to open more regional dispensing hubs in the future to support its growing pharmacy services.