1. Quality & Technical Policy
How Boots uses the SIN list and
other substitution tools
Iain Brunning
Senior Manager – Scientific Advisers - Boots UK
18th November 2011
2. Alliance Boots
Pharmacy-led health and beauty group
• Alliance Boots is a leading international, pharmacy-led
health and beauty group delivering a range of products and
services to customers
• We operate more than 3,280* health and beauty retail
stores in ten* countries, of which just under 3,180* have a
pharmacy
• In Europe we have stores in the UK, Norway, the Republic of
Ireland, The Netherlands, Lithuania and Russia. We also
have pharmacies in Thailand and our associates and joint
ventures operate pharmacies in Switzerland, China, Italy and
Croatia. In addition, around 50 Boots stores operate in the
Middle East and Sweden on a franchised basis
• Our pharmaceutical wholesale businesses, together with
our associates and joint ventures, supply medicines, other
healthcare products and related services to over 160,000
pharmacies, doctors, health centres and hospitals from over
370 distribution centres in 21 countries
*as of 31st March 2011
Quality & Technical Policy
3. Boots UK
A member of Alliance Boots
• Our purpose is to help our
customers look and feel
better than they ever thought
possible
• We are trusted by our
customers many of who visit
more than one of our stores
every week
• We are committed to offering
our customers innovative and
fantastic new products
4. Boots apotek
En medlem av Alliance Boots
• In Sweden we opened our
first store in 2011
• We currently have 7 stores
– 2 in Stockholm
– And in Visby, Nacka, Varberg
and Handen
• Our Pharmacies offer
professional advice and
pharmacy services and a wide
range of Boots brand health
and personal care products
• Pharmacies are wholly owned
by individual entrepreneurs
5. Our brands
• Boots has over 160 years
experience in pharmacy
operations and product
development, and is today
one of the world's most
famous brands
• Boots develops and
manufactures several of
Britain's best-selling
brands such as
No7, Botanics and Soltan
6. A Typical Retailers Perspective
• Large portfolio of products and even larger amount of
materials to consider
• At very end of the supply chain
• Expertise is on marketing not scientific assessment
• Rely on information supplied from its suppliers or third parties
• Often simply rely on legislation
• Prone to ‘criticism’ from NGO community because of our
visibility to consumers
Quality & Technical Policy
7. Boots Perspective
• Unique in Europe as both a manufacturer and retailer
• Company grown from a pharmaceutical heritage with a
pharmacy-led focus
• Dedicated team managing our chemical policy
• Historical process in place for assessing chemicals used in
manufacturing
• Proven track record in assessment and substitution
Quality & Technical Policy
8. Product management challenge
• Appears simple, but
– Complex products
– Multi-component
– Many technologies
• Many different regulations
– Cosmetics Directive
– REACH
– CLP
– Biocides Directive
– General Product Regulations
– FDA CFR 21 ….
9. How do Boots approach chemical
assessment?
• Chemical Stewardship Group (CSG)
– Scientific foundation for policy decisions
– Representation from across our business both technical and
commercial
• Precautionary approach
– The Boots customer is always our first consideration and our brand is
trusted “to do the right thing” and we need to continue to earn that
trust
– Boots have always applied a precautionary approach to all our
activities and have a proven track record
– Not withstanding this still must have a strong scientific underpinning
Quality & Technical Policy
10. CSG Inputs CSG Outputs
Our Customers Priority
Substance
Internal data Chemical List
Stewardship Group
Material Suppliers
Chemical
Representatives from:
Toxicology
Policies
Cosmetic Formulation
Pharmacy
Materials Science
Sustainability Boots General
Waste Management Requirements
External Consultancy Nutrition
Quality
Commercial Supply
12. Outputs from
Boots Chemical Stewardship Group
• Update to the Priority
Substance List
• Technical guidance on
the use of chemicals by
the company
• Proposed action plans
for chemicals of
concern
http://www.boots-
uk.com/Corporate_Social_Responsibility/
• Regular feedback to the
Environment/Chemicals.aspx business
13. Benefits for Boots
• Early identification allows time to complete risk
review, identify alternatives and plan for strategic substitution
where merited
• We can continue to delight our customers by keeping
products available in our stores and delight our senior
stakeholders by reducing stock recalls and write-offs
• Producing a development tool which is easy to use, especially
for key decision makers
• Supporting and enforcing Boots strategy goal to become a
global leader in health and beauty products and services
Quality & Technical Policy
14. Boots achievements
• Bisphenol-a
– As a result of our own impact assessment, we took
the decision to use an alternative material to
polycarbonate in Boots brand feeding bottles from
August 2008
– Boots stopped stocking proprietary baby feeding
bottles made from polycarbonate ahead of the EC
decision
• Phthalates in cosmetic and toiletry products
– No Boots brand products or exclusives developed by
Boots UK will contain simple phthalate esters
– Prohibited for manufacture in all Boots brand
products since July 2008
Quality & Technical Policy
15. Boots achievements
• Triclosan
– Prohibited for use in plastic articles, clothing and
similar types of goods since 2008
– Is being phased out and has not used in any new
product development since 2005
• Artificial Musks
– Nitro musks have been prohibited for manufacture in
all Boots Brand products since 2002 and polycyclic
musks have been banned in the manufacture of all
Boots brand products since 2008
Quality & Technical Policy
16. For more information
• Boots Environmental Management
– http://www.boots-uk.com/Corporate_Social_Responsibility/Environment.aspx
• Boots Chemical Strategy
– iain.brunning@boots.co.uk +44 (0)115 9686 772
• Boots UK
– Boots UK Press Office on +44 (0)115 959 5995
• Alliance Boots
– AB Communications on +44 (0)1932 871 400
• To shop at Boots
– www.boots.com/ or in Sweden www.se.boots.com/
Quality & Technical Policy