PL-UK The Pharmacy Recruitment Specialists » PHARMACIST

2010 LOCUM PHARMACIST PAY RATE SURVEY

Shaun — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:14:10 +0000

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.

2010 locum pharmacist pay rate survey

Newly qualified pharmacists welcome!

Shaun — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:42:56 +0000

It gives me a warm feeling when the newly qualified pharmacists start contact PL-UK after hearing that they’ve passed their pre-reg exam. After five years of hard work and a pre-reg they are looking for either locum work or a permanent job and PL-UK are delighted to help.

Having been in the same position myself albeit 17 years ago, (we were the first year to do a pre-reg exam) I know how daunting it came be but Linda, Lynne and myself are here to help you find jobs to build your confidence and start reaping the rewards of all your hard work.

Call 0800 8818844 from a landline or 0333 123 3344 from a mobile for a chat about how we can help

New job opportunity in County Durham

Shaun — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:36:25 +0000

Looking for a new permanent job. We have a great opportunity for a pharmacists who enjoys MDS and likes building long term relationships with care homes. Excellent package on offer.

For more information click on the link blow

MDS opportunity

Newly registered pharmacists

Shaun — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 08:29:02 +0000

New Registrations – the end of the month will see an influx of pharmacists onto the RPSGB register and PL-UK are here to help all the one’s who are looking to locum post-registration. PL-UK know how to look after newly qualifieds as Shaun has been one himself (although a while ago now!) and the last seven years has enabled us to build up expertise in supporting pharmacists who are new to the register. We won’t throw you in the deep end, we’ll make sure you work in branches with good support, who pay on time and who we would be happy to work with ourselves.

To talk to a member of the PL-UK prior to getting your RPSGB registration number please call 0800 8818844 from a land line or 0333 123 3344 from a mobile and ask to speak to Linda or Lynne

So how much can I earn as a locum pharmacist?

Shaun — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:36:09 +0000

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!!

Is the time of the locum coming again?

Shaun — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:23:57 +0000

In my last post http://www.pluk.co.uk/2010/comments-of-the-letters-in-the-pj/ I launched a defence of the community pharmacy locums workforce. Today I want to take this one step further. Rather than their being “something rotten” about 24% of pharmacists working as locums. I argue that this percentage will be much higher in the future in both the community and hospital sectors.

Community pharmacies, like all businesses exists to make money, whether it be for the owner/manager or the shareholders of the multinational operators like Boots, Lloyds etc. They will always look to minimise the costs to the business in terms of salaries or, in the case of locum pharmacists, locum fees. I don’t have a problem with this, it’s just business.

However, what happens when the costs of engaging locums actually costs roughly the same as employing an employee pharmacist? What locums can give you is flexibility, reliability, the ability to work in stressful environment and in most cases losts of experience. Just this week we have had a locum coordinator on the phone because six employee pharmacists have called in sick! Six at the same time. ” What is the area manager doing about it” we asked ” Nothing, they are too scarred that they will leave them!!” came the reply. Our experience have to have their head hanging off before thy phone in sick as they don’t get paid sick pay.

So why not run you shops on locums instead of employees? There’s no holiday pay, no pension contributions, no sick pay, no employers National Insurance contributions, a back-of-a-fag packet calculation puts these additional costs at 35% of the employees salary costs in addition to their basic pay. That’s not taking into account bonus payments that many emlpoyee pharmacist are entitled to. The issue that stops the companies saving monies is where the costs are allocated on the Profit and Loss account.

The hospital sector I believe will rely even more on locums in the future. The recruitment freeze in place across the NHS means that, as employee pharmacist in the NHS leave their positions, they won’t be replaced. We have one pharmacist and a technicians leaving positions in the next few weeks and their work colleagues are already asking how they are supposed to cope. They are rushed off their feet at the moment, how are they going to profide a safe service in the future with even less staff? I’m sure that the trust managers, as they go through their own redundancy situation will stop pharmacy departments recruiting replacement pharmacists and technicians but the department has to function safely. Locums are the obvious solutions. Flexibility, no holiday or sick pay and no pensions are very attractive options at this point. So what that locums are paid more than employees. The overall costs are lower.

So my expectation is that the love/hate relationship between locum pharmacists and the larger multiples will move closer to love and that the hospital sector will become more and more reliant on both locum pharmacist and pharmacy technicians. I might be wrong but I’d be interested to hear what you think.