Boots pharmacists receive £750 pro rata bonus

 The PDA secured a 5% pay award for Boots pharmacists during last year’s pay negotiations with the pharmacy chain

Pharmacists working at Boots have been awarded a non-consolidated £750 pro rata payment, following last year’s successful negotiations between the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union and Boots UK.

Announcing this development, the PDA highlighted that the payment recognises the dedication of Boots pharmacists in delivering NHS core and advanced services, including the Pharmacy First Service, Common Ailments Service, Hypertension Case Finding and Pharmacy Contraception Service.

“This bonus is a recent example of the successful collaboration between the PDA and Boots, and how working alongside a trade union can benefit all parties involved,” the associated stated.

As the official union for pharmacists at Boots, the PDA plays a crucial role in negotiating their pay, terms, and conditions.

The PDA’s pay negotiations with the pharmacy chain last year led to a five percent pay increase for Boots pharmacists, which came into effect in November 2023.

The union revealed that discussions for the 2024 pay review are currently underway with Boots.

The PDA also has recognition agreements with other employers, including LloydsPharmacy Healthcare Services and all GP Federations in Northern Ireland.

These agreements enable formal negotiations on pay, terms, and conditions between employees and employers.

Pharmacists interested in establishing a recognition agreement at their workplace are encouraged to contact the PDA Member Support Centre for assistance.

Last month, Boots announced that it would proceed with closing the remaining stores as part of its plan to shut 300 UK pharmacy branches by the summer of 2024.

Last month, Boots confirmed to The Pharmaceutical Journal that it would complete the closure of the remaining stores of its planned programme to shut 300 UK pharmacy branches in the summer of 2024.

In June 2023, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Boots' parent company, announced its decision to close 300 UK pharmacies within a year as part of plans to save US$800m.

Currently, Boots UK operates 2,100 stores across the UK.

In its quarterly financial report released on 27 June 2024, Walgreens Boots Alliance said that part of its cost-cutting measure involved the closure of "up to 650 Boots stores" in the UK. By 31 May 2024, the company had closed 581 of these stores.