Today, Nurofen partners with Boots, aiming to tackle gender pain dismissal by helping more women feel understood when they seek information or advice in their community pharmacy.
The brand is providing training to over 10,000 Boots pharmacy staff to identify and respond to gender bias in pain conversations and expanded the distribution of its free Pain Pass tool in-store and online, so women can have more productive conversations with
their doctors.
From 25th June until 2nd July, selected Boots stores in London, Manchester and Nottingham will take part in store takeovers. During this time, physical copies of the Pain Pass will be available in store and campaign visuals, signposting the Pain Pass and highlighting
the reality of gender pain dismissal, will be prominently displayed.
The partnership positions the pharmacy counter as a frontline touchpoint for women seeking health and pain advice, as Nurofen’s fourth annual Gender Pain Gap Index Report recently revealed that more than half of women (53%) have experienced pain dismissal,
with nearly half becoming reluctant to seek help again (46%) or speak about their pain (44%) after they were dismissed.
For pharmacy staff, who are often a customer’s most accessible and frequent healthcare contact in the community, the training offers the tools to play a meaningful role in keeping women connected to evidence-based care.
At a time when, according to Nurofen’s Gender Pain Gap research, three in four (74%) women turned to unverified sources for health information, access to safe, verified advice is crucially important. Especially as one in five (21%) women report using AI tools
like ChatGPT for health information and advice despite documented accuracy concerns.
Sanjay Nathwani, Boots pharmacist,said: “Women have always been able to visit their local Boots pharmacy as a first port of call for access to advice, support and treatment where needed. The supplementary Nurofen training further supports pharmacy
teams to help women navigate their own personal experiences at any stage of life. We can be there at a time that’s convenient right on the high-street and without the need for an appointment.”
A tool designed with patients, for patients
Nurofen’s Pain Pass, co-created with women living with chronic pain and healthcare professionals, helps patients track and articulate their symptoms so they can have more productive conversations with their doctor. The tool provides structured prompts covering
pain frequency, severity and impact. This helps women find the right words to describe their experience and gives clinicians and pharmacists a clearer picture to aid diagnosis and treatment, effectively acting as a ‘pain translator’.
Since its launch in 2023, over 100,000 copies of the Pain Pass have been downloaded and distributed across the UK, signalling significant patient demand for practical support in navigating their healthcare journeys.
Dr Bill Laughey, senior medical scientist at Reckitt, said: “Words we use to describe pain matter because finding a common language with your doctor helps them make more informed decisions that in turn lead to diagnosis and treatment. Nurofen’s
Pain Pass was built on that principle – the tool acts as a pain translator, helping women articulate what they’re experiencing. Now, our training programme for pharmacy staff extends that into a new community touchpoint, enabling more pharmacists to recognise
and address gender pain dismissal, so more women can get the support they need.”
Alignment with the NHS 10-year plan
This campaign helps support the NHS 10-year plan’s emphasis on delivering care in the community. By equipping pharmacy staff with training and tools to facilitate better patient conversations, it extends access to trusted healthcare guidance in the places women
already visit at a time when unregulated health information has never been more prevalent.
The training programme forms part of Nurofen’s wider 2026 commitments, which also include continued funding of academic research into pain dismissal through charity partners and universities, including grants supporting research at the University of Manchester
and University of Bath.
Available now
The Pain Pass is available in selected Boots stores and can be downloaded for free at
