Shaun

For nine years locum pharmacists have been hammering against a glass ceiling with regards to hourly rates – £25 per hour. During the fallow year of 2000 when the degree changed from three years plus pre-reg to four years plus pre-reg, locums made hay while the sun shon, charging £25 plus 4 hours travel, and even more in many cases.

But why did they charge plus rates? I’ve never really understood why they charged plus rates and not an increased hourly rate. I think that they liked charging something for nothing. However, I’m sure that locums have suffered ever since because it’s easy for contractors to refuse plus rates, after all, would you want to pay someone for nothing? OK, OK I can hear the cries of “but it takes me an hour to get to the pharmacy” However doesn’t everybody else? It would have been much harder to decrease the hourly rate.

My honest belief is that I think £30-35 per hour would be the norm by know if the plus rates brigade hadn’t come along.

However, at PL-UK we have a solution which involves additional payments for MUR’s which would generate additional income for contractors and fund a substantially higher hourly rate for locum pharmacists. The new scheme will only be open to locums who are experienced in performing MUR’s and feel that they would be able top perform 5-12 MUR’s per day.

The scheme will be launched later in the year and we are looking to start discussions with interested locum pharmacists early in September.

If you would like to be considered please email shaun@pluk.co.uk attaching a copy of your CV and MUR certificate (If we don’t already hold it on file)