Our partnership with Boots

Being told ‘you have cancer’ can affect so much more than just your health – it can affect the way you think and feel about yourself. Boots and Macmillan have joined forces to provide cancer support in your community to help you feel like you again.

Macmillan’s experience in supporting people living with cancer, combined with Boots UK’s expertise in delivering healthcare and beauty information and advice, means together we can provide easily accessible specialist cancer information and support to thousands of people on the high street and through our online support services.

Since our partnership began in 2009, Boots UK has raised over £20 million for Macmillan, thanks to the continuous support of its wonderful colleagues and customers.

From July 2022, all funds raised by Boots will support Macmillan's direct services including the Macmillan Support Line, Online Community and our cancer information.

We provide bespoke training to thousands of Boots UK pharmacists and No7 Beauty Advisors. These Macmillan-trained volunteers are what make our partnership so unique and special, because they really understand the needs of people living with cancer and can direct them to support.

Working together we offer support in-store and online, which includes:

Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists

Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists in store or through an online appointment. They are specially trained to understand different types of cancer, treatment and to answer questions about medication. They can also guide you to other sources of information and support.

Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors

Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors are ready to help in many Boots stores – they’re specially trained by Macmillan to give face‐to‐face advice to help you cope with the visible side effects of cancer and its treatment. From defining sparse brows and lashes to caring for nails that are suddenly more brittle, they offer lots of tips to help people feel, and look, more like themselves again.

You can find our specially trained colleagues by their Boots Macmillan badge. Our Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists and Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors wear their badge with pride, ready to answer any questions, provide beauty tips or just be a listening ear whenever you need it.

To find out more about how you can access free cancer support on the high street or online, visit boots.com/macmillan.

Mole Scanning Service

Boots offer a Mole Scanning Service, which provides you with an assessment of moles and pigmented lesions you’re worried about, which can help to identify any that might be suspicious. Details of the costs for this service are provided on their website.

Palliative Care Service

Boots have worked with Macmillan and the NHS to launch a Palliative Care Service in its pharmacies.

Together, Boots has created a list of recommended medicines most used by terminally ill patients and has committed to maintaining stock of medicines on this list, or formulary, at over 2,000 of its pharmacies with an NHS contract. Our Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists (BMIP) have also received additional training, developed with Macmillan, on palliative care to accompany the launch of this service. 

We are delighted that this innovative partnership service won the accolade of Health Initiative of the Year at the Chemist and Druggist awards in November 2022.

Over the last 14 years, Boots UK colleagues have thrown themselves into a variety of fundraising events, in and out of stores, involving both colleagues and customers. From raffles and lunch-swaps to make-up-athons and pamper evenings, Boots UK are dedicated to raising vital funds to help us do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer.

Boots UK colleagues regularly take part in challenge events, including Macmillan’s Mighty Hike series, the London Marathon and events they have created themselves, such as cycling 170 miles across the UK.

Through the valuable support of Boots colleagues in stores, and in offices, the partnership has raised an incredible £20 million in the last 14 years, with many more colleagues and customers getting involved in fundraising every month.