Boots Pharmacies remain open for customers to pick up essential medicines and medical supplies - but with new rules in place.

Here's a round-up of what you need to know before you head to your nearest store.

What are Boots Pharmacies open for?

The company says people can visit their local store for:

  • Trusted advice
  • Treatments for minor ailments
  • Over-the-counter medicines
  • Your prescriptions

Payment advice

A Boots spokesman said: "If you need to come into store, go contactless. We've increased our contactless payment limit from £30 to £45."

Delivery updates

The spokesman added: "We're working as hard as possible to deliver your order on time. Some orders might be late and we'll text you if that's the case. 

"The Order & Collect service is now available in selected stores. Your nearest available store will be shown at checkout. Please reselect any favourite or saved store as it may not currently provide the Order & Collect service.

"Home delivery is now free when you spend £30 or more and the next available delivery slot will be shown at the online checkout.

"Thank you for understanding."

Prescription deliveries

The company said: "We're working as hard as we can to get your prescriptions to you as quickly as possible. 

"Due to increased demand they may take a few days longer than usual. Please allow yourself plenty of time to get your prescription and try to limit your order to what you need. 

"We'll still let you know when your order is ready to be collected, or has been despatched, and don't forget, you can also track the status of your delivery with the tracking code in your confirmation email."

What restrictions are there on products?

Boots have limited sales of certain products online, adding that online restrictions may vary from in-store.

The company are limiting the amount you can buy on their website of:

• Products containing paracetamol

• Pain relief

• Cough & cold products

• Children's medicine

• Thermometers 

• Tissues & wipes

• Hand sanitisers, soap & handwash

• Feminine hygiene

• Baby milks

• Nappies

• Baby sterilising & antibacterial products

What changes are in stores?

Boots have encouraged everyone to shop online where possible and to use their free online NHS Repeat Prescription Service to have prescriptions delivered to home. 

  • Social distancing: Boots have limited the amount of people in store at any one time, so at busier times customers may be asked to queue outside. To help you maintain a distance of two metres from other customers and store workers, shoppers will find floor markings both inside and outside to show where to queue to enter and to checkout. Boots have also put up Perspex protector screens at their tills and pharmacy counters to keep staff safe. 
  • Contactless payments & Advantage Card points: Shoppers have been urged to avoid cash payments and instead use contactless card payment either at the self-service checkout or the till. The nationwide limit on contactless card payments has increased from £30 to £45 to reduce physical contact at checkout. 
  • Changes to in store beauty consultations: Boots say in order to focus all their efforts on providing essential pharmacy and healthcare services, they have temporarily suspended their in store beauty consultations. 
  • Changes to in store ordering: To help protect staff in-store and the warehouse, Boots have temporarily suspended the in store ordering service. Instead, customers can place orders via the Boots app or on their website. 
  • Changes to store operating hours: Due to the pandemic, Boots stores are changing their opening hours as they see necessary. Shoppers have been urged to check online before visiting their nearest store.