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Substance Dependency Services

Our pharmacies offer a range of services for people who use drugs & want to stay safe

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Our pharmacies offer a range of services for people who use or have used drugs and want to stay safe. Our teams are committed to viewing each person as an individual and seeing the person behind the prescription or service. We will discuss your needs in an impartial and private manner and offer our full support.


With over 2000 pharmacies in the UK, our community locations are convenient to those who need them. Some of our pharmacies have extended opening hours and are open 7 days a week*.


• Initial consultation upon entering the supervised consumption service
• Non-judgemental, friendly and approachable dedicated team members delivering the service

• Private areas for supervision of doses and for needle and syringe exchange programmes

• Needle and syringe programmes providing patients with convenient access to clean and sterile injecting equipment and a facility of safe disposal of used equipment


NHS Needle exchange service


Many of our pharmacies offer a needle exchange service which reduces the risk of you catching infections, such as Hepatitis B & C and HIV*. The pharmacist will give you free injecting equipment, to make sure that if you are injecting, you’re doing so safely. The pharmacist will also be able to talk to you about how you can reduce the risk of harm when injecting and keep the community safe by asking you to return used needles. The pharmacist may need to take some details from you before supplying the needles.



NHS Dispensing and supervised consumption service

The aim of the service is to support and enable the recovery of the patient. We will always treat you in a friendly, non-judgmental and confidential manner. We are here to help you get better.


The NHS Supervised Consumption service helps you to stabilise on a treatment programme using prescribed medicines, helping you keep to regular dosing by taking the medicine in the Pharmacy*


Once you have accessed support from your local Drug and Alcohol Team and you have been prescribed substitute medication, your pharmacy can dispense the medication from your prescription. You will come into the pharmacy at certain times to take your medication under the supervision of one of our pharmacy team or pick up to take home in line with your prescription.


Boots Naloxone Emergency Administration Service


A number of our stores across the UK now hold an emergency injection kit which can be administered by trained colleagues, in the event of a patient presenting with recognised signs & symptoms of a potential opioid overdose.


Selected stores currently participate in locally commissioned NHS 'Take Home Naloxone' schemes. In these stores, each time a naloxone kit is issued training is offered and provided if needed by one of our fully-trained pharmacists*.


We can provide support and advice and, if necessary, refer you to other local healthcare providers that may be able to help you further.


All of our services are confidential.


*The services we offer can differ by store depending on the area, the services offered and commissioned within that locality. Please contact your local Pharmacy to find out if these services are available in your area

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This page is sponsored by an unconditional grant from Ethypharm