Nearly half of independents believe a lack of time is the biggest barrier to them extending their clinical services, according to research.

The study, commissioned by Hubrx and carried out by Communications International Group, found 43 per cent of pharmacies do not have time to provide more services.

Sixty-seven per cent think their patients are more likely to go them for clinical services since the pandemic started while 60 per cent said they are interested in hub and spoke dispensing to help them deliver more services.

HubRx CEO Daniel Lee (pictured) said the model, which is due to undergo a public consultation on legislation to introduce it in England, “has the potential to free up significant time” in pharmacies “by taking away a lot of the more mundane tasks.”

“We firmly believe that the future of independent pharmacies is in offering a wider range of clinical services to patients within their own community,” he said.

“The potential for this is huge but, the time it takes to dispense in store means pharmacists simply don’t have the time to take on these new services or even upskill themselves and their staff to be able to offer them in the future.”

CIG’s research found independents want to take on more NHS and private services such as Botox, autoimmune screening, UTI treatment and needle exchange. 

“By freeing up this capacity pharmacists can upskill both themselves and their staff to take on more services which will offer greater reward both financially and professionally, while also enabling them to better serve their community and reduce pressure on GP surgeries,” Mr Lee added.