Hey, I have recently had my first day as a locum, first day signed up as RP. It was a little scary, of course, but I did seem to survive it.

The only thing I was really nervous of was how different the services are from Northern Ireland to Scotland. I did my pre-reg over there and so I am quite lost when looking at an eMAS form and I've never even seen a CPUS or CMS one. I have done my reading and I studied in Scotland, so I know most of the theory of our services, I've just never actually carried any of them out!

Before the day I was due to work, I visited the pharmacy to get a crash course on the unfamiliar computer system and felt a right fool when I asked where they kept the otc sale brand of Levonelle. Of course, they didn't keep it because it is so unlikely to get an EHC request which isn't covered by their PGD. I had totally forgot this as the first thing we would always have to do in NI was take the customer aside and say "Before we start the consultation, you do realise this is £25?"


Anyway, the point of all this rambling is I would really like to buck up on all these Scottish services and PGDs a bit more and I was thinking of approaching some of the busier shops around the place and see if they might let me shadow for a couple of days? I really just want a chance to have a good look at all the prescription forms and ask a couple of irritating questions!!

Do you think that's the way to go about it? I'd love to get a position as support pharmacist to start with over here, but 90% of the shops are small independents and so there just isn't that option.