A range of Boots pharmacy roles are in line for a pay rise from November 1, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has confirmed.
The union and Boots announced the outcome of their 2026 pay talks on October 7, saying the settlement “recognises the vital role pharmacists play in delivering accessible healthcare to patients and communities across the UK”.
Pharmacists within the bargaining unit will receive a 3.4% pay increase, and for those with over 10 years’ service at Boots, the minimum salary will increase to £57,542 full time equivalent (FTE) per year.
Read more: Boots and PDA agree 4% pay rise for pharmacists from next month
Eligible pharmacist store managers will also receive a minimum annual salary based on the store they work in.
Those working in small stores will receive £59,145, those in medium stores will be paid £62,040, and the pay for those working in large stores will be £67,210.
Eligible pharmacists and pharmacist store managers whose salary remains below the minimum salary after the 3.4% pay increase will be brought up to the minimum salary level.
IPs, DPPs and trainee supervisors
The agreement will also recognise the “evolving role” and “future direction of the profession” by giving Boots pharmacists who become practising independent prescribers a salary review along with a minimum salary increase of 3%.
Those who have become a practising independent prescriber since January 2026 and not received a minimum 3% uplift will receive this increase in addition to the overall pay award.
Designated prescribing practitioners (DPPs) supervising independent prescribers will have their honorarium increase by 10% to £330 for each learner.
And the trainee supervisors who support trainee pharmacists will have their honorarium increase by 2% to £1530.
Read more: PDA reveals 6% uplift to Boots trainee pharmacist pay
Following the region 1 short notice payment trial, pharmacists will receive a £75 pro rata short notice payment if their shifts have been filled within 48 hours of their scheduled start time.
Principles for the reasonable travel approach for relief pharmacists required to travel away from their substantive base to fulfil a shift has been agreed following a “successful trial”, and the guidance will be published on November 1.
And a hard-to-fill location honorarium and governance framework has been agreed to ensure “transparency and consistency around the application of location payments”.
“Deeply appreciated”
Pharmacists and pharmacist store managers are eligible for the pay increase if they are qualified members of the bargaining unit, will be employed on November 1 and are not in their notice period.
They are ineligible for the pay increase if they joined or had a pay increase on or since August 1, were rated as “not performing” at the end of year 2026 or are a trainee pharmacist.
Read more: Large multiple ‘celebrating’ low locum rates, PDA reveals
For the minimum pay levels, eligible pharmacists must have completed 10 years of continuous service on or before October 31, and for those who reach the milestone on or after November 1 and are below the minimum pay level, pay will be adjusted in the month following the 10-year milestone.
Pharmacist store managers eligible for the minimum pay levels who are appointed on or after November 1 will have their pay adjusted at the date of their appointment.
PDA Union and Boots said pharmacists’ contributions are “deeply appreciated”.
Read more: ‘Low pay, abuse, no IP training and mistreatment of locums’ - PDA
It comes after Boots was sold to the Canadian Weston family for £6.7 bn this week.
And it follows the PDA revealing in February that it had agreed an increase of up to 6% in the pay rate for Boots trainee pharmacists.
