Boots and PDA Union announces pay rise for trainee pharmacists in England and NI 

Trainee pharmacists at Boots in England and Northern Ireland will get a pay increase from 1st August. 

The new pay rates agreed between the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union and Boots was announced on Tuesday (4 July). 

The joint statement released by Boots and PDA Union said: “Following discussions, we are pleased to announce that there will be a pay increase for Trainee Pharmacists, in England and Northern Ireland, commencing in role this summer.”

Trainee Pharmacists working in Boots Pharmacies in Wales are employed directly by the NHS and are therefore outside the scope of the pay negotiations between Boots and the PDA Union.

Funding for each Boots Trainee Pharmacist in Scotland is at a higher level and Boots continues to pass on the fully funded amount as salary to those team members.

The following new pay rates will be effective from 1 August and will be applied centrally in the August pay run:

Location of store                        Hourly rate                  Annual salary

Boots Pay Zone A*                           £11.64                          £22,759.11

Boot Pay Zone B*                             £12.77                          £24,968.54

Boots Pay Zone C*                           £12.88                          £25,183.62

In February, Boots and the PDA union (PDAU) also announced that from April 2023 there will be a pay increase for Trainee Pharmacists in England and Northern Ireland to £10.90 per hour from 1st April 2023.