Boots and the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) Union have announced that trainee pharmacists at the retailer will receive a pay increase from 1 April.
The organisations have established zones across England and Northern Ireland in which the pharmacy trainees work, with the pay rise in each one dependent on the cost of living in the area.
Trainee pharmacists located in Zone A in England and Northern Ireland will receive a new pay rate of £12.69 per hour, those in Zone B in England will get £13.79 and those in Zone C in England will receive £14.05.
In August 2023, pay for trainee pharmacists at Boots in England and Northern Ireland was increased to £11.64 per hour for Zone A, £12.77 per hour for Zone B and £12.88 per hour for Zone C.
A spokesperson from the PDA said: “We are pleased to have agreed another increase for the trainee pharmacist roles in England and in Northern Ireland with Boots. After graduating from their four year university course, early years pharmacists may be moving across the country for a one-year trainee contract and must manage their first full-time working experience while continuing to study and prepare for their career defining exam at the end of their supervised trainee year. At the same time, they are often having to find and fund housing, travel, any additional paid courses, the cost of the exam and subsequent registration itself and then prepare for their first job as an actual pharmacist which could require another relocation.
“While NHS England provides a grant to employers to take on a trainee, and some employers passport the entire grant to their trainees as salary in real terms this has lost its value over recent years and leaves many trainees in England worryingly close to minimum wage levels which is not appropriate for the role they undertake. Boots [is] acting responsibly to have recognised this and the PDA welcomes that [it is] now paying in excess of that. The PDA is working hard to get other employers to do similar and asking NHS England to urgently improve their contribution to the income of pharmacists at the start of their careers if they are serious about achieving the aims of their workforce plan.”
Once fully qualified, Boots pharmacists are eligible for the option to buy more annual leave days, an annual bonus scheme, a staff discount, the Boots Retirement Savings Plan pension scheme, enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave pay, a £100 gift card when expecting or adopting a baby, the Boots Benevolent Fund, a 24/7 employee assistance programme, retail, cinema and holidays discounts, and a flexible benefits scheme that includes including financial wellbeing support, gym membership, holiday purchase, dental cover, life assurance and activity passes.