Brilliant Member
I have recieved an offer through for a pre-reg place for a very well known multiple, the biggest... and it clearly says that on condition of signing the contract is that after terminating the contract you do not sell medicines near any branch and do not engage custom with any previous customers from this mutliple for six months.
Is this legal and is it enforcable?
Defender Of Pills
technically legal yes but not enforceable and extremely difficult to take to court - they would almost certainly lose so don't lose any sleep over it if you defect to a rival and take business with you.
I know of at least 2 pharmacists with this 'clause' in their contract now working down the road from their old shops and having taken a large chunk of their regulars with them.
“It's not worth doing something unless you were doing something that someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing.”
Terry Pratchett
Registered Pharmacist
Check the rest of the small print as I also think the contract ties you in for 2 years (with the pre-reg itself counting as 1 year of the 2) or you have to pay them £5000 towards your training if you leave before the 2 year period if up.Originally Posted by mm45
Titch
Defender Of Pills
also unenforcable!
A certain company i know tries a similar ploy with their pre-reg, dispensers and counter staff - that one i KNOW isn't legally binding because they accepted your role to be trained in the first place so accepted all liability for those associated training costs - and last i checked (admittedly a while ago so could be wrong now!) they actually RECIEVE money from pharmsoc for your pre-reg placement to help train you.
hope that helps take a load off your conscience!
“It's not worth doing something unless you were doing something that someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing.”
Terry Pratchett
Thousand Plus Poster !!!
you mean boots or lloyds? i am still waiting to get my contract from lloyds, tho got day lewis one
Registered Pharmacist
They claim that they pay a salary in excess of what they receive from DOH for a pre-reg, and that the additional training they provide (extra file provided by the company, case studies, monthly sample questions, regular area/regional training days and week away conference) all costs them so can justify the £5K.
For dispensers and pre-regs they get you to sign an agreement that you will pay back your training costs if you leave within x weeks of completing the training or on non-completion of the training.
Might not be legally enforceable but they then blacklist you effectively so you cannot get any locum work with them. Also not legally enforcable but have seen if happen to quite a few pharmacists now.
Titch
An beagle le dearcadh
I think I brought up the existence of this contractual "clause" in a previous thread somewhere. It is a thinly-disguised threat, and I personally find it abhorrent.
I doubt the companies involved would ever be brave enough to take it to court...
As Sir Dispensalot said, lose no sleep, and make your decision accordingly..regarding future employment..I can assure you they probably won't even remember your name..the little area managers only last about three months.
King Amongst Members
Drug Tariff: Pre-reg (whatever they call it)= ~£16,500, so each pharmacy that takes on a pre-reg gets that much!!!
alot of students dont know this and thats why alot of (mostly independent) pharmacies pay something stupid like 14k to pre-regs. Multiples pay more closer to 18K (but make you work hard for it) and the training they provide is quite good, even if the opportunities they provide to qualified pharmacists are shit.
As a student get the free PDA memebership, and let that be known to the right people. small print is for small people, once qualified you'll be big (as long as you know that)
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