All Boots employees are already covered by insurer Axa, the multiple explained, but this coverage does not extend to “when they are working outside of Boots in a primary care setting”.

“We will shortly be launching a new scheme with reputable insurers that allows a Boots pharmacist who wants to work one or two days a week in primary care to apply for a strong insurance policy that will cover their professional work as well,” Boots UK chief pharmacist Marc Donovan said this morning (November 2).

“Because of our very significant buying scale, we can offer this free, at no cost to our pharmacists,” he added.

“We have been trying for some time to find a way in which our pharmacists can be covered for both their work at Boots and their work in primary care, and we are pleased to say that we have found a solution,” he explained.

The multiple has already let its employees know, and will be sharing further details “in due course”, Mr Donovan said.

Employees will be able to apply for the insurance from January, and the cover “will fully meet General Pharmaceutical Council registration requirements”, he stressed.

Read C+D’s in-depth analysis of how indemnity insurance is adapting to the expanding role of pharmacists.