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Pharmacy chain Boots is placing lung cancer awareness materials around its over-the-counter displays to encourage people to be aware of symptoms that may need closer investigation.
Signs will be placed close to cold and flu management products, cough medicines and pain relief, advising people to speak to a Macmillan-trained pharmacist if they have symptoms that can sometimes be an early indicator of lung cancer — for example, a cough lasting more than three weeks.
A statement from Boots published on 9 February 2026 said: “These materials have been created to encourage customers to pause, think and recognise when symptoms may need further investigation.”
The statement added that it will include the awareness materials in its pharmacy consultation rooms, and people with questions or concerns could speak to one of its 4,500 Macmillan-trained pharmacists, who have had additional training to support people affected by cancer.
The initiative was proposed by Jules Fielder, a lung cancer campaigner who was diagnosed with the disease in her late 30s, who argues that a stigma associated with the disease has led to lack of awareness of signs and symptoms.
“This initiative was dreamt up during my long hours of treatment, where I felt strongly that more needed to be done. I’m absolutely thrilled to see it come to life today at Boots,” she said.
“A precedent has been set, and I hope more pharmacies follow as we continue to challenge that stigma. All you need for lung cancer is lungs — it can happen to anyone, so signposting in shops like this will save lives.”
Data from Cancer Research UK show that there around 33,000 deaths from lung cancer annually in the UK and that almost 80% of deaths are preventable.
Wes Streeting, health and social care secretary — who is supporting the campaign — said: “As someone who’s been through cancer myself, and whose nan died of lung cancer, these stories hit me differently.
“Jules’ story shocked me — she’s my age, she’s never smoked and she was challenging stereotypes I didn’t even realise I held.”
A pilot of community pharmacy lung cancer early detection, held across Aberdeen and the NHS Grampian area between June 2022 and September 2023, identified 18 people with ‘red-flag’ symptoms for lung cancer, 17 of whom received a formal consultation with a pharmacist.
