locum vs perm

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Web Ferret

If I go to a nice branch with a good set up and quality staff that needs a first class manager then I'm open to offers. Until them I'm still locuming and could be booked twice over!.

If you are near Bradford PM me - a branch I locum at is just about set up - but they are in no hurry to appoint a manager as it works without one.

Jeff

[pluk]

Don't go to any companies direct as you put yourself in a weak position. You might as well go cap in hand "Please Sir. Can I have a job?" Use one of the recruitment agencies that specialise in pharmacy recruitment. Try googling.
Regards

PLUK

[sam_lewis]

after a year of locuming I have earned about £47k, four weeks holiday, working 6 and sometimes even 7 days. Have to pay ~10k in tax. travelled to alot of places and I am also considering going permanent. Most of the time my problem with locuming is ending up at places were no one helps, and having to keep asking people to help which I don't bother anymore. friend works about 38 hrs per week, 9-6, no sat or sun and earning around 37K. the only thing that scaries me is reaching targets etc

[imaginegenerous]

Never done locuming but as a permanent have the benefits of company pension if I want, just under 40k a year, my branch doesn't open on Bank Holidays so I have all those in addition to 5 weeks holiday. This is for 40 hours Mon-Thurs plus 7.5 hours every other Saturday. The downsides as I see them (in my current job) are: we're open and trading for the full 10 hours a day so getting a break at lunchtime can be difficult although I do try to take about 15 minutes to get a 'mental break' (area manager thinks 20 minutes is more than enough) and I'm supposed to be in the pharmacy at all times - we only have a small staff area out the back and the door doesn't shut so you never really get away from it. The other major things is high fairly high MUR targets - ours is 6 a week; we get an e-mail to say how all the branches in our area are doing at least once a day - I manage 3 if I'm lucky! And the number of weekly dosette boxes we do - at the moment we have 46 a week - I seem to find it a major struggle to fit in checking them, doing MURs, dealing with customer questions etc and checking the day-to-day scripts but maybe that's just me! We do about 10,000 items a month, one pharmacist on duty and we don't have an ACT at present (and don't look like getting one either). Area manager wants more MURs, more dosette patients and more items and average waiting times of less than 10 minutes for 75%+ of customers.

But there is a certain amount of job security and I guess different companies ouwld opperate slightly differently - some better than others.

[JonF]

guess you work for lloyds then...and for those hours/conditions i'd ask for a higher salary!

[SolomonQ]

10,000 items per month?? , 40k is no where near enough, to say the least i was offered the same from lloyds with no experience with the company, e.g. their computer systems, SOPs etc...

[Zoggite]

I hate to have to say this, but for once I agree with Solly: I wouldn't touch that job for less than £55k per annum.
Or £755k if it's Lloyds.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by imaginegenerous

The downsides as I see them (in my current job) are: we're open and trading for the full 10 hours a day so getting a break at lunchtime can be difficult although I do try to take about 15 minutes to get a 'mental break' (area manager thinks 20 minutes is more than enough)

Have you joined the PDA - and are your working conditions re breaks legal?

http://www.rpsgb.org/pdfs/coeppt.pdf
As a pharmacist or pharmacy technician you must:
.....

7. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR WORKING PRACTICES

Jeff

[Web Ferret]

Originally Posted by imaginegenerous

Never done locuming but as a permanent have the benefits of company pension if I want, just under 40k a year, my branch doesn't open on Bank Holidays so I have all those in addition to 5 weeks holiday. This is for 40 hours Mon-Thurs plus 7.5 hours every other Saturday. The downsides as I see them (in my current job) are: we're open and trading for the full 10 hours a day so getting a break at lunchtime can be difficult although I do try to take about 15 minutes to get a 'mental break' (area manager thinks 20 minutes is more than enough) and I'm supposed to be in the pharmacy at all times - we only have a small staff area out the back and the door doesn't shut so you never really get away from it. The other major things is high fairly high MUR targets - ours is 6 a week; we get an e-mail to say how all the branches in our area are doing at least once a day - I manage 3 if I'm lucky! And the number of weekly dosette boxes we do - at the moment we have 46 a week - I seem to find it a major struggle to fit in checking them, doing MURs, dealing with customer questions etc and checking the day-to-day scripts but maybe that's just me! We do about 10,000 items a month, one pharmacist on duty and we don't have an ACT at present (and don't look like getting one either). Area manager wants more MURs, more dosette patients and more items and average waiting times of less than 10 minutes for 75%+ of customers.

But there is a certain amount of job security and I guess different companies ouwld opperate slightly differently - some better than others.

Sorry mate but you are seriously underpaid and overworked.
Thats a £50k minimum job.
Let me guess - Your area manager is not a pharmacist?

[Pharmanaut]

Hope admin doesn't mind me mentioning this again...
Pity you don't live in South Yorkshire.
I know of a pharmacist owned small chain that needs a permanent pharmacist for a village pharmacy in a reasonably nice area.
Busy enough to keep you sharp but not bedlam.