These hours are killing me!

[Zoggite]

Originally Posted by Defblade

Now I'm locumming again

Why?
What made you take up the "Locum trail" again? (Excuse my nosiness...)

[pharout]

Originally Posted by admin

Hi All,

This week I am working Mon, Tues, Thurs and Friday. It takes me about 45mins to drive to where I am working, and obviously back again.

The shop opens at 8.30am and closes at 6.30pm. If I am lucky I get to eat my lunch, today with just three interruptions. The dispensary does not stop for a lunch break, so it depends on customer numbers if you get one or not.

So I have to get up about 6.30am, and I get back home at 7.15pm. I know being a locum that I did not have to accept the booking, but I did so have to honour it.

Do other people do hours like this? How do you cope? Am I just too old, or do others find this sort of work hard too?

Admin,
You have just described the entire community pharmacy sector in the US. Long days, no lunch break, abuse, commutes, etc. I would say stop this, in mass, if you can before it reaches proportions such as here. If you throw in multiple insurance companies of which you must call all day to work out billing issues, constant telephone interruptions, abusive clients, not able to take vacation even when you have days, and finally drive-thru windows....you now have our community/chain pharmacy system in the U.S. Do not take the abuse or let corporate decisions drive pharmacy practice or it will end up like this (because many pharmacists here took it for years and now it is accepted practice). Some companies even offer the "lunch break" as an incentive to work for them, as a benefit......I don't know of any other profession here where this happens.

[admin]

Originally Posted by pharout

Admin,
You have just described the entire community pharmacy sector in the US. Long days, no lunch break, abuse, commutes, etc. I would say stop this, in mass, if you can before it reaches proportions such as here. If you throw in multiple insurance companies of which you must call all day to work out billing issues, constant telephone interruptions, abusive clients, not able to take vacation even when you have days, and finally drive-thru windows....you now have our community/chain pharmacy system in the U.S. Do not take the abuse or let corporate decisions drive pharmacy practice or it will end up like this (because many pharmacists here took it for years and now it is accepted practice). Some companies even offer the "lunch break" as an incentive to work for them, as a benefit......I don't know of any other profession here where this happens.

Hi

Thanks for this contribution. It seems the grass isn't always greener!

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by admin

Hi

Thanks for this contribution. It seems the grass isn't always greener!

Take a look at Jim Plagakis site and be glad of EU employment legislation.

[Zoggite]

Originally Posted by Pharmanaut

Take a look at Jim Plagakis site and be glad of EU employment legislation.

YES!!!!! Long Live Brussels!!!!
(I'm totally unbiased, of course...)

[Defblade]

Originally Posted by Zoggite

Why?
What made you take up the "Locum trail" again? (Excuse my nosiness...)

Increasing script numbers 10% year on year in return for a 3% pay rise; MUR pressure; threating to remove my good dispenser as she was an ACT but there was no need for it in my branch (what we said when they put her in for it); increasing size of company involved leading to inevitable increase in paperwork and meaningless, useless rubbish from HO...... and more......

....and also.....
A load of stuff came up at home. Long and short, chucked job in favour of life.

[Defblade]

Originally Posted by admin

Originally Posted by Defblade
These 2 quotes are a big chunk of why I took a manager's job 7 years ago. Just one week of tidying up followed by 6.5 years of enjoying smooth(ish!) running. Now I'm locumming again, lloyds in particular have a much bigger area and the arranger hasn't twigged me yet
I'm still in the same position doing locums, but I stand my ground and always take a break for lunch. I usually stay on the premises and if I check scripts during my break then I charge the company. Nobody has ever questioned me on this, so I don't think it's a problem.

To pharmanaut - sorry but I missed your request for a sticky thread. If you ever want one putting up it's better to private message me.

It's not the breaks, it was the constant troubleshooting. Then going back to the same branch 3 months later to find it in as big a tip as before I sorted it

Why the hell do I put the effort in when so many just don't bother????


This seems to be a bit of a common sort of moan on the pharmacy forums - I've come to the conclusion that it's because posters are self-selecting - those that can be bothered to post are those who care at all.

[admin]

Originally Posted by Defblade

This seems to be a bit of a common sort of moan on the pharmacy forums - I've come to the conclusion that it's because posters are self-selecting - those that can be bothered to post are those who care at all.

Well part of this forums function is to have a good moan and get it off your chest!

[amit]

I've just jacked in locumming for a managers position.

Had similar probs as most of you guys. Got sent to busy stores - punishment for working hard!!

Hopefully life as a manager will be a lot easier. However, I'm working in one of them newly opened supermarket branches - open from 6.30am to 10.30pm

[johnep]

You'll just love it when you have been there early and then the afternoon/evening locum does not turn up and they ask you to work the whole day.
johnep