Boots Online Doctor has launched a private service for customers with insomnia, the company yesterday (December 9) announced.
It said that the new offering gives “adults struggling with chronic sleep difficulties” access to expert advice, personalised treatment plans and practical sleep hygiene guidance “within 24 hours”.
Read more: Boots and Oxford University to test UTI trial recruitment
Patients can also access “prescription medication if appropriate” but this “is subject to an online consultation with a clinician to assess suitability”, it added.
And it said that the service also promotes a “holistic approach to sleep health” by pointing to “cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) resources”.
GP alternative?
The health and beauty giant said that people “experiencing persistent sleep disturbances should consult their GP” - or, “alternatively”, the new insomnia treatment service offered by Boots Online Doctor.
The service includes an “in-depth online questionnaire reviewed by clinicians”, it added, with patients able to “collect prescriptions from Boots stores or have them delivered to their home”.
According to Boots Online Doctor’s webpage for the service, a 30-tablet pack of chronic insomnia drug daridorexant costs £85, while 30 tablets of melatonin - a hormone used for sleep problems - cost £40. The page does not list a consultation fee.
Read more: Boots launches private vitamin B12 jab across 145 stores
It comes after Boots last month announced that it has teamed up with Oxford University to test recruiting customers for pharmacy trials following the introduction of Pharmacy First.
It said that the study, which will take place at a single Boots store in Durham Market Place, comes as “primary care pathways for certain common conditions shift from GP surgeries” to pharmacies.
Meanwhile, the company has launched a private service for vitamin B12 injections - retailing at £29 per dose - in more than 145 stores across the UK to help eligible patients manage nutrient levels and “treat deficiencies”.
