As we did in 2008 and 2009 PL-UK are inviting locum pharmacists to complete a locum pay rate survey. The survey is open to all active locum pharmacists and is super-quick to complete with only three questions and results to-date visable on completion of the survey.
We are contacted every day by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from London, Manchester and Birmingham looking for work, both locum and permanent. The honest truth is that it is hard to find.
If you live in one of these area’s think about re-locating. We have regular work in some of the most beautiful parts of the country including the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Moors and even in cities with buses, theatres and nightlife!
If you are fed-up with low rates, bad working conditions and/or monthly financial stress give PL-UK a ring – we’d be delighted to help.
Call 0800 881 8844 for more details
It’s fair to say that the whole PL-UK team were severely hacked off on Monday. A locum we have supported through lots of issues went behind our backs to secure a placement with a client we have previously placed her with. The client concerned had no idea they had been hoodwinked by another agency and ended up paying pay over the odds for a locum they had working for them two weeks previously. Good on her, I hear you say. Not so, I reply. The locum concerned was already getting a fantastic rate from us and this deviousness will come back to bite them in the bum eventually as we were one of only two agencies willing to find her work. Make that one!
However, Tuesday was another day. We placed two locums in long term placements on rates they were delighted with (and so they should be!) They were professional and organised and deserve the rates they will be paid.
The moral of this story is: I understand that everyone wants to be paid the best rate they can for the work they perform but it’s always best to think long term in the locum game.
At PL-UK we get asked this a lot. It all depends on the area you live in, the sector you work in and your additional expertise.
For a standard locum booking you should be looking for at leat £25 per hour for emergency bookings rising to £30 plus 2 hours in very hard to fill areas. For bookings you make well ahead closer to £22 per hour may be the norm, especially in the South, £25 in the North.. If you book direct with the supermarkets and larger chains expect a slightly higher rate initially but this will drop as they get you on their booking direct hook – they don’t make £millions of pounds of profit by paying the best rates long term!
For really good rates specialist knowledge is the key. For locum prescribing advisors we are currently securing rates of £40 per hour plus one hour’s travel time, In the hospital sector specialist knowledge at AFC banding 8a will secure similar rates. And the thing is, these people are excellent value for money. One of our locum prescribing advisor’s has saved two practices over £80,000 per annum each in three months working just two days per week!!
I’ve been on holiday for the last week so have had more time to read the PJ than normal and hasn’t it been an interesting week in terms of comments about locums!
The furore started after the publication in the PJ (15 May 2010) of a leading article (P466) and Broad Spectrum comment (P474) about the reliance in community pharmacy of a large proportion of locums. They even called the state of affairs “Something rotten”
Comments on both pieces on PJOnline
You won’t be surprised that I think the conclusions reached by the researchers is a load of old tosh but I do welcome the PJ’s publication as it has opened a really important can-of-worms about the pharmacy workforce.
Why do pharmacists work as locums? In 2000, during the fallow year, the reason was probably mostly financial – the lack of pharmacists registering with the Society meant that the locums available could charge whatever they wanted as they knew that pharmacy operators were desperate. There’s nothing wrong with that, business is all about supply and demand and if there is a large demand and little supply, costs rise.
In 2010 things are very different. It’s probably true that in some parts of the country premium rates are still being paid because of a lack of locums but in many areas, the cost of locums in undoubtedly cheaper than employing a pharmacist, central London being a prime example.
So why then in these areas do pharmacists still want to work as locums? Various letters in the PJ explain why their pharmacist authors don’t like working as employee pharmacists e.g. excessive workload, pressure to undertake MUR’s , low staffing levels, stress etc and, as an ex-employee pharmacists, I can understand all that, but, player devils advocate, a more interesting question is why do pharmacists want to work as employees?
If you think about all the top professions e.g. GP’s, dentists, and solicitors, a high proportion of each work as self employed professionals. They stand on their own-two -feet and stand or fall by the service they provide …. oh, and charge a lot more than self employed pharmacists!
I’ve stated in previous posts that I feel that locum pharmacists (or Independent Pharmacist Practitioners as I like to call them) are the most professional pharmacists, like GP’s, standing or falling by the service they provide and I still feel that this is the case. The locum pharmacists we have working through PL-UK are a highly motivated, professional, conscientious bunch and I am proud that they work with us on a daily basis
The rubbish about locums providing a less effective service doesn’t stand up to scrutiny either, just think about it; All the evidence would indicate that working in a pharmacy, as a pharmacist is more difficult now that ten years ago. Massively increased workload, less staff, MUR’s, lower profits from dispensing that have put more pressure on pharmacy operators large and small and subsequently, their employee pharmacists. Is it more stressful to work in this environment every day or on an ad-hoc basis as a locum? Locum pharmacists go to a booking and provide the best service they can. They know that it will probably be a busy day and can only do their best. Even after the horror days that all locums have, they can leave the pharmacy at the end of the trading day safe in the knowledge they they don’t have to work their again. Just think of that pharmacies poor employee pharmacists who has to work in that environment every other day!
So is their “Something Rotten” about community pharmacies reliance on locum pharmacists? Not at all – it’s completely understandable. At University we are told that we are entering an honourable profession and that we must make difficult decisions on a daily basis. Surely, working as a locum pharmacists is the only way (Other than independently owned pharmacist owner/managers) where you can do that in 2010.
Agency Workers Regulations – how does it effect me?
The simple answer is it doesn’t. …. in most cases. For more expert guidance than I can supply as a pharmacist rather than a legal bod please click on the link below. http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/documents/01109%20PCG%20A4%2020PP%20BROCHURE%20SINGLE%20PAGES.pdf
One in a lifetime opportunity – pharmacist required in Tonga
We have been approached by a not for profit pharmacy in the Kingdom of Tonga asking us to recruit a pharmacist to work at one of the health centres in the Kingdom. This opportunity will definately not come up again for if you fancy a complete change of scene and an opportunity to live on [...]
Just a quick post to remind all pharmacist that they need to renew their GPhC registration by the 31st October. So you still have a month to pay but if you are anything like me, if you don’t do it now, there’s a chance you’ll forget!
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