First health. This is the cornerstone of the Boots business, so I am really pleased to be able to report that WE HAD THE BEST YEAR IN PHARMACY FOR FIVE YEARS.
This is a direct result of the investment priorities. A thousand stores now have the Smartscript IT system which records all prescriptions dispensed at Boots and gives detailed on-line information to our pharmacists, helping to underpin their ability to give expert advice. Over 100 of our pharmacies were also upgraded.
Other highlights included a 17 per cent growth in the prescription collection service which offers customers the ease of getting their medicines directly from us, without having to visit their GP surgery to pick up their prescription. We have signed up 750,000 people - and now serve more than a quarter of our customers with this service.
The monitored dosage system, under which we provide pre-packed drugs for safe and easy use by care homes, saw 12 per cent growth and the business is now worth £125m a year to us which is bigger, for example, than our businesses in washing and bathing, dental products, or mens toiletries.
LINK: Next beauty.
