Boots pharmacy - Frequently Asked Questions

In some cases, you may be given a private rather than an NHS prescription by a prescribing healthcare professional such as a dentist or a doctor. There are no payment exemptions for private prescriptions, so you’ll always need to pay. Charges for private prescriptions vary depending on the medicines.

You can get a private prescription dispensed by visiting one of our pharmacies with your prescription (or having it sent to one of our pharmacies electronically via your GP, where applicable). Visit our store locator to find your nearest/most convenient store to collect from.

A one-off prescription is issued by a prescriber such as a doctor to treat a specific medical condition with medicine for a short period of time. For example, this might be an antibiotic to treat an infection, or a painkiller to help with pain from an injury.

You can get a one-off prescription dispensed by visiting one of our pharmacies with your prescription (or having it sent to one of our pharmacies electronically via your GP, where applicable). Visit our store locator to find your nearest/most convenient store to collect from. 

A repeat prescription is issued by a prescribing healthcare professional like a doctor, usually for medical conditions which need to be treated for a long period of time.  This includes long-term conditions like diabetes, eczema and asthma. Your prescriber may allow you to request another prescription without having to see them each time you need more medicine. They do this by authorising repeated supplies of the medicine over a specific time period, until a set review date. 

Customers living in England:

If you live in England and pay for your NHS prescription, you’ll pay the standard charge for each prescription item in England, which is currently £9.90.

Customers living in Scotland:

If you live in Scotland, your prescription is free if you collect it from one of our pharmacies in Scotland regardless of whether you order it online or in store.

Please note, the free home delivery option for prescriptions ordered online is not currently available for customers registered with a GP outside of England. If you require home delivery, please speak to your local Boots pharmacy team to understand what in-store delivery options are available. Please be aware that delivery charges may be applicable.

Customers living in Wales:

If you live in Wales, your prescription is free if you collect it from one of our pharmacies in Wales regardless of whether you order it online or in store.

Please note, the free home delivery option for prescriptions ordered online is not currently available for customers who are registered with a GP outside of England. If you require home delivery, please speak to your local Boots pharmacy team to understand what in-store delivery options are available. Please be aware that delivery charges may be applicable.

Customers living in Northern Ireland:

If you live in Northern Ireland, your prescription is free if you collect it from one of our pharmacies in Northern Ireland regardless of whether you order online or in store.

Please note, the free home delivery option for prescriptions ordered online is not currently available for customers who are registered with a GP outside of England. If you require home delivery, please speak to your local Boots pharmacy team to understand what in-store delivery options are available. Please be aware that delivery charges may be applicable.

General information:

Occasionally, a single item may incur multiple charges as defined by the NHS. We’ll let you know if this is the case.

If you have any further queries about prescription charges, please speak to your local Boots pharmacist or, for online orders, call our online pharmacy team on 0345 121 9040.

Yes, certain prescription items such as contraceptives do not incur a prescription charge. Rest assured that you won’t be charged for such items, even if you usually pay prescription charges, if you order them via our online service.

If you’re in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, home delivery is not available from our online pharmacy and prescriptions would need to be collected in store. Visit our store locator to find your nearest/most convenient store to collect from.

In England, certain groups of people don’t have to pay for NHS prescriptions including those who:

• Are 60 years of age or over or is under 16 years of age
• Are 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education 
• Are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx) 
• Have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• Have a valid prescription pre-payment certificate
• Have a valid war payment exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
• You get Income Support or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• You get Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Are named on a current HC2 certificate 
• Are entitled to or named on a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
• You get Pension Credit Guarantee Credit (including partners)
• You get Universal Credit and meet the criteria. Find out more at the NHS Business Services Authority site, Credit Guarantee Credit (including partners)
• Were prescribed free-of-charge contraceptives

If you’re in England and choose to collect your medicines at one of our pharmacies, you’ll need to bring proof of your exemption, like a certificate. If you select to have your medicine delivered to home, the NHS may contact you for proof of your exemption.

If you are in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, your NHS prescriptions are free in the respective countries. Please note, the free home delivery option is not currently available for customers who are registered with a GP outside of England. If you require home delivery, please speak to your local Boots pharmacy team to understand what in-store delivery options are available. Please be aware that delivery charges may be applicable. 

You can still use the online prescription service in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to order your medicines online, but you will only have the option to collect your medicines from one of our local pharmacies. The free home delivery option is currently only available to customers who are registered with a GP in England. If you require home delivery, please speak to your local Boots pharmacy team to understand what in-store delivery options are available. Please be aware that delivery charges may be applicable.

The point at which we’ll take payment depends on the delivery method you choose.

If you choose to have your order delivered to you, we’ll take your payment details when you place the order. However, we won't charge you until your medicines are dispatched.

If you collect your order from one of our pharmacies, we’ll take payment when you collect your medicines.

Yes, you can order your repeat NHS prescriptions online through our NHS Repeat Prescription Service. 

Please see earlier FAQs for more information on the dispensing of repeat and one-off prescriptions.

Yes, however, some medicines, such as certain painkillers, may have a limit on how many you can buy in a single transaction.

Some medicines require approval from a pharmacist, so you’ll be asked to answer a few questions to provide additional information. This is so one of our pharmacists can check that the medicine is appropriate for you. If there are no problems, your order will be approved and despatched straight to your delivery address or store, subject to stock availability. A signature is required when the parcel is delivered. 

Occasionally, our pharmacist may need to contact you by phone or email to discuss your order. Please ensure you provide us with the best contact number for us to reach you on.

If you’re using the Boots Online NHS Repeat Prescription Service, it can take up to seven days for your medicines to be ready for collection from one of our pharmacies or 13 days for your medicines to be delivered to you. For this reason, our online service is not suitable for any prescriptions you may need straight away. Instead, ask your doctor for a paper prescription or ask for the prescription to be sent electronically (in areas where the electronic prescription service is available) to your nominated pharmacy so that they can dispense your medicine*.

If you’re using our online clinic services, it will take up to two working days for you to receive your order.

*Subject to stock availability

If you need a private face-to-face consultation with one of our pharmacists, you’ll need to speak to a member of your local Boots pharmacy team. They’ll be happy to arrange for you to have a consultation in a private room in store.

Once your medicines have been despatched for delivery, or you have collected them, we can’t accept returns or offer refunds on prescription charges for medicines.

If you placed a repeat prescription order to be delivered to you, please contact the Boots Online Prescription Service on 0345 121 9040.

If you chose to collect your prescription order at one of our pharmacies, please contact them using the details on our store locator and a member of our pharmacy team will help. 

You can order non-prescription medicines for others but you may need to answer a few questions first.  This is so our pharmacy team can check that the medicine is appropriate. If there are no problems, your order will be approved and delivered to you or a Boots pharmacy if you prefer. A signature is required when the parcel is delivered. 

Occasionally, our pharmacist may need to contact you by phone or email to discuss your order. Please ensure you put in your correct contact number and that you are able to answer the phone if needed.

You can order repeat prescription medicines for others online, but you‘ll need their permission and all their relevant personal details (such as their date of birth and GP’s address) to place the order.

If you have signed up with your GP for online services, you will need to speak to your GP surgery to add any family members you would like to order repeat prescription medicines for, to your GP Linkage Key.

The NHS Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) allows most GPs in England* to send prescriptions instantly to a pharmacy of your choice. The EPS offers a flexible and convenient way to access your medicines. Instead of collecting your paper prescription from your GP, head straight to your preferred Boots pharmacy to pick up your medicines. To be able to use the EPS you’ll need to nominate a pharmacy that’s convenient for you.

*Participating surgeries only

To be able to use the NHS Electronic Prescription Service (EPS), you’ll need to nominate a pharmacy that’s convenient for you. Nominating a pharmacy lets the NHS know where you’d like your electronic prescription to be sent to. There are over 2,300 Boots pharmacy stores in the UK, many of which offer late-night opening hours and we have midnight pharmacies too*.

*At participating Boots pharmacies only

Simply ask your GP, or pop into your local Boots pharmacy and we’ll be happy to add your nominated pharmacy for you. You can nominate any pharmacy that uses EPS. It could be one close to where you live or work, whatever works best for you. Remember though you can only nominate one pharmacy at a time.​​​​​​​

Your GP or pharmacist will be able to let you tell you where the service is already being offered and if it’s suitable for you.

The service can be used for:

• Repeat prescriptions in England

• One-off prescriptions in England

But cannot be used for:

• Private prescriptions
• Veterinary prescriptions

If you want to change where your electronic prescriptions are sent to, simply pop in to your local Boots store and ask for your nomination to be changed.​​​​​​​

If you’ve placed an order online for a repeat prescription, you will receive a text message or email when your medicines are ready to collect in store, or if you've chosen home delivery*, you should receive an email when your medicines have been dispatched.

*only available to customers who are registered with a GP in England.

We’ll notify you when we have despatched your order. This will normally be within two working days of us receiving your prescription from you or your GP (subject to stock availability). Your prescription will be sent via Royal Mail and will usually be delivered within two working days of despatch. 

If you choose letterbox delivery, your package will be posted through your letterbox. If you choose signed for delivery, the package will need to be signed for by someone aged 18 or over. 

If you choose to have your medicines delivered to you or to collect them from a post office they’ll be delivered via Royal Mail. They will usually be delivered within two working days of despatch. 

If you choose letterbox delivery, your package will be posted through your letterbox. If you choose signed for delivery, the package will need to be signed for by someone aged 18 or over.

Yes, we can deliver to any UK address apart from PO boxes, as long as there is someone over the age of 18 to sign for your package if you chose signed for delivery. In some circumstances letterbox delivery may be available.

Medicines which need to be kept below a certain temperature by refrigerating them must be collected in store. Controlled drugs need to be collected from store too. Some medicines may not be suitable for letterbox delivery due to the type of medicine or the size.

Sorry, we’re only able to supply customers in the UK with prescriptions issued by UK registered prescribers.

If you choose letterbox delivery, your package will be posted through your letterbox. If for any reason your package won’t fit through your letterbox, or if you choose signed for delivery and you’re not in when the delivery is made, a card will be put through your door with details of where to collect your package from. 

Remember if a signature is required it will need to be signed by someone aged 18 or over.

We’ll do our best to make sure you still have the medicine you need. If you normally get your medicine delivered to your home or local post office, please call 0345 121 9040.

If you normally pick up your prescriptions from a Boots pharmacy, please either pop in to let them know, or call them using the contact details on our store locator.

Our prescriptions have to be dispensed from a registered pharmacy, while other products are sent from our central warehouse. Therefore prescription medicines are despatched separately.

If you are registered with a GP in England and place an order online using the Boots Online NHS Repeat Prescription Service, there is no delivery charge for home delivery. 

Unfortunately, the home delivery option is not currently available for customers with a GP registered outside of England for online repeat prescription orders. 

If you haven’t received your prescription order, or if it is incomplete, please contact us as soon as possible on our local call rate number on 0345 121 9040 and we’ll resolve any issues. 

Unfortunately, once prescription medicines have been despatched, we can’t offer a refund. 

Certain medicines on our site, including some painkillers, have a restriction on the quantity you can purchase. You’ll see a message telling you that you can’t order more than the maximum quantity allowed for that medicine.

Yes, you can take them to your local pharmacy for disposal, but we won’t be able to offer you a refund on unwanted medicine.

To collect your online clinic medicine from the post office, you’ll need to take some form of ID with you, like a passport or driving license. You must be aged 18 or over to collect your prescription order and if you chose signed for delivery you’ll need to sign for it. Royal Mail require that only the person named on the package can collect it, so someone else can’t collect it on your behalf.

Please use our store locator to find the opening hours of your nearest Boots pharmacy.

Yes, we offer a number of travel vaccinations at selected pharmacies. Please use our quick check tool to find out which vaccinations you may need and book an appointment to get vaccinated at one of our pharmacies if necessary.

See Boots Travel Vaccinations and Health Advice Service for more details.

We offer a number of pharmacy services which you can find out more about, including online clinics, repeat prescriptions,and travel vaccinations.

If you ordered a repeat prescription to be collected at your local Boots pharmacy, please contact them directly using the details on our store locator. Alternatively, you can pop into the pharmacy if it is more convenient for you. 

For all other prescription queries, please call Boots Customer Care on 0345 070 8090. 

Our aim is to provide excellent service at all times. If we fail to reach these standards and you’re unhappy with our prescription service in any way, please contact us via one of the following methods:

• Speak to the pharmacy team who look after your prescriptions

• Call Boots Customer Care on 0345 070 8090

• Email Boots Customer Care at boots.customercare@boots.co.uk

• Write with your complaint to:

Boots Customer Care

PO Box 5300
Nottingham
NG90 1AA

We’ll only ask you for information to enable us to dispense your prescription for you. The prescription details you enter are stored securely on our systems.

Boots is committed to protecting your privacy. We believe in using your personal information to make things simpler and better for you. We will always keep your personal information safe and will never sell it to third parties. We will be clear and open with you about why we collect your personal information and how we use it. See our privacy policy for more information.

The Yellow Card Scheme allows you to report problems or incidents (including suspected side effects) from any of medicine (which includes vaccines and herbal medicines) or medical device that you are taking. The scheme is vital in helping the medicines safety watchdog called the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitor the safety of all healthcare products in the UK. This is to ensure that they are acceptably safe for patients and those who use them. Please report any suspected side effect on the Yellow Card Scheme website.

If you have any unwanted side effects after using a Boots branded medicine, that aren’t listed on the Patient Information Leaflet, please tell your pharmacist or doctor.

It's also important you let us know. You can call our Customer Care team on 0345 070 8090, or email us at customercare_team@boots.co.uk

If the 'collect from a Boots Pharmacy' option is selected for your NHS repeat prescription order, the nominated Boots Pharmacy will be the pharmacy processing your prescription. The phone number of this pharmacy can be located in the order confirmation email.

If you placed an order for NHS repeat prescriptions and selected the option for home delivery, your order will be processed by:

Boots Online Prescription Service - 30-36 Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 1DD

GPhC: 1034053

You can check the registration of all Boots online pharmacies on the website of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) here.

If you would like to check who the responsible pharmacist was at the time your medication was dispensed or speak to a pharmacist from the Boots Online Prescription Service team, please call 0345 121 9040.

Opening hours are -

Mon-Sun 9.00AM-5.30PM

The Pharmacy Superintendent (Marc Donovan) for Boots UK Limited is responsible for the pharmacy service provided through boots.com.

When you buy a non-prescription pharmacy medicine from boots.com, your order will be processed by our Boots Online Pharmacy team. These medicines are identifiable by the green cross on the product details page. Orders are approved by:

The NHS Summary Care Record (SCR) is an electronic summary of key clinical information (including medicines, allergies and adverse reactions) about a patient, sourced from the GP record. It is used by authorised healthcare professionals (e.g. pharmacists) to support the patient’s care and treatment.