In this week's episode, Ben is joined by Dr Freddie Charrington, GP Partner at Phoenix Health Group in Tetbury, to discuss the growing financial challenges facing dispensing practices, and how the practice transformed its dispensary from near break-even to sustainable profitability. Freddie shares how he unexpectedly became dispensary lead soon after becoming a partner and was tasked with determining whether the service should continue at all. Working alongside his dispensary team, family members and a data scientist, Freddie developed 'Dispensary Market', a tool that compares drug prices across multiple wholesalers, helping practices make smarter purchasing decisions. Freddie also explains how the tool has expanded beyond his own practice, remaining free for GP practices while helping improve both profitability and medication availability across dispensing sites. Introduction

Freddie's background and becoming dispensary lead

Why dispensing practices are under financial pressure

Rural challenges and workforce pressures

Discovering the true dispensary finances

Identifying purchasing inefficiencies and drug margins

From spreadsheets to building a solution

Developing Dispensary Market

Expanding wholesalers and improving margins

Implementing change with the dispensary team

How the platform works in practice

Why drug prices change constantly

Real-time pricing and system design

Early results and product evolution

Lessons in change management and user adoption

Rolling out to other practices

Keeping the platform free for GP practices

What is 'Dispensary Market' and how to access it

Uptake and current usage

Balancing GP work and running the platform

Supply chain benefits and stock availability

Closing reflections