Former Boots chief executive Andy Hornby has become chairman of small online business Pharmacy2U.

Hornby, who formerly ran HBOS when it had to be rescued by Lloyds Bank in 2008, exited healthcare giant Boots in March last year after less than two years in charge. He has since become chief executive of bookmaker Coral.

Hornby joins Pharmacy2U as non-executive chairman. The firm, which has partnerships with 300 NHS GP surgeries and sales of £20m in its year to May 2011, is the UK’s biggest online pharmacy.

Its founder and managing director Daniel Lee said: “We are delighted to welcome Andy Hornby as the new chairman of Pharmacy2U and look forward to benefiting from his experience of the pharmacy industry and online retail businesses.

“The imminent transition to electronic prescriptions across the NHS represents an exciting opportunity for Pharmacy2U, and Andy’s insights and leadership will be of significant value in helping us meet the challenges ahead.”