Relief pharmacist

[spartacus]

Hello everyone. I recently accepted an offer to work as a part time relief pharmacist for boots. Can someone tell how it is different from being a locum, apart from being an employee with the company and the earnings. In terms of responsibility and stress is it different from locuming? Thanks.

[johnep]

I did for several years. Joined the share scheme and made £2,000. Got paid holidays and days off in lieu for bank holidays.
I never noticed any difference from when I was a locum for them at first.
johnep

[JM342]

I would look at the tax implicationsof changing status from locum to employee.

[roxy]

With regard to salary , Please take it from me and don't bother. For " relief manager" at Boots read " responsible mug on not much money". I challenge those "lurking" on these sites fron Boots HO to disprove what I say. - which is - stop seducing employees into becoming dogsbodys to replace managers who are leaving voluntarily. Why are they leaving voluntarily? Ask around and do some googling .... and remember a solicitor with your experience would be on £70k. Most GOOD locums are able to command at least £30ph. Would you marry a partner who used you like a workhorse then spat you out when they'd found something better? I rest my case. .....shall we hear ( I doubt it) for the defence? I await the aforementioned with anticipation.

[Gordon Mackenzie]

If pharmacy was thought of as a proper, professional job we would all be on £70k-£80k. Instead it is a job where we carry tremendous responsibility with little chance of promotion or increase of salary from the day we qualify. If anything the salary for pharmacists is steadily decreasing and there are less and less opportunities.

[kl06229]

If you've qualified quite recently, then I suppose the time spent with them will get you some consistent work/earnings and give you the experience you need. Which will serve you well whether you want to stay with them, invest in your own pharmacy or go into locuming.

In terms of responsibility and stress, I found it quite stressful for a number of reasons:

1) The pharmacy you get dropped into can have all sorts of problems. Even relatively new to being a pharmacist, it's become obvious to me after a while which places are death traps e.g. huge potential for dispensing errors, missing prescriptions, poorly trained staff, massive backlogs, stock sitting everywhere, fire exits blocked. You can phone ahead, introduce yourself and ask questions, but I've found the pharmacist at the other end will forget to mention these problems over the phone.

2) Your employer will pull you up for minor infractions, even things that weren't your fault can potentially end up being pinned on you simply because you were signed in as RP on the day.

3) Your employer will hound you with targets, which might not be so bad if you're only part time.

Having said that, locuming isn't alll sunshine and lollipops and can come with some of the problems I mentioned. Plus, you sort your own tax, finances and get no paid holidays. Of course the beauty of locuming is that you do what you want. The good locums I know are advance booked, have their work planned well ahead and can pick and choose where they want to be (so can avoid the crappy places).

[spartacus]

If you've qualified quite recently, then I suppose the time spent with them will get you some consistent work/earnings and give you the experience you need. Which will serve you well whether you want to stay with them, invest in your own pharmacy or go into locuming.

In terms of responsibility and stress, I found it quite stressful for a number of reasons:

1) The pharmacy you get dropped into can have all sorts of problems. Even relatively new to being a pharmacist, it's become obvious to me after a while which places are death traps e.g. huge potential for dispensing errors, missing prescriptions, poorly trained staff, massive backlogs, stock sitting everywhere, fire exits blocked. You can phone ahead, introduce yourself and ask questions, but I've found the pharmacist at the other end will forget to mention these problems over the phone.

2) Your employer will pull you up for minor infractions, even things that weren't your fault can potentially end up being pinned on you simply because you were signed in as RP on the day.

3) Your employer will hound you with targets, which might not be so bad if you're only part time.

Having said that, locuming isn't alll sunshine and lollipops and can come with some of the problems I mentioned. Plus, you sort your own tax, finances and get no paid holidays. Of course the beauty of locuming is that you do what you want. The good locums I know are advance booked, have their work planned well ahead and can pick and choose where they want to be (so can avoid the crappy places).

I am aware of these issues but when i qualified i started out as a locum, but the amount of locum work and rates are decreasing and this will not change. As a locum i had the opportunities to work in different companies, and to be honest with you they're all pretty much the same, whether they're boots, lloyds, co-op etc... I hope to work as a pharmacist in the UK (I'm british by the way) for a 3 years maximum, and then leave to either canada or the gulf. The UK is not what it used to be: falling wages, increased competition for jobs, very high cost of living, etc... i.e the result of selfish capitalism, and a broken society. I saddens me that i gave five years of my life to become a pharmacist.

[zakkaz]

Tne grass is never greener. Canada has an infinitely poorer health and education system. It's separated from the world. Houses made flimsiliy. Try getting to work in 10inches of snow. And they have a long & tough conversion process. And what has happened/happening here, will spread to non-EU, as you yourself would be doing. Good luck though.

[culchie82]

The good locums I know are advance booked, have their work planned well ahead and can pick and choose where they want to be (so can avoid the crappy places).

The "good locums" in the eyes of employers are the ones prepared to have every ounce of blood, sweat and tears extracted from them (ie basically humiliated). The ones prepared to provide lucrative extra services, on top of checking 600 items with ridiculous staffing levels. Don't for one minute convince yourself that Pharmacy is a Profession, it's a slog.

Next time you arrange to see your local GP, Accountant or Solicitor, ask them if they would see you during their lunch hour. Enough said.

[spartacus]

Tne grass is never greener. Canada has an infinitely poorer health and education system. It's separated from the world. Houses made flimsiliy. Try getting to work in 10inches of snow. And they have a long & tough conversion process. And what has happened/happening here, will spread to non-EU, as you yourself would be doing. Good luck though.

I know about the canadian system, and life there ( i got family there), but pharmacy as a profession is much better recognised over there and significantly better paid. I don't mind the snow, as i quite like snow. what attracts me to canada is the higher salary and lower cost of living. These are just options at the moment. I haven't really decided of where to go but i will definitely be leaving the UK in the not too distant future. The multiples and the good-for-nothing governing body have ruined pharmacy in the UK to point of no return. I no longer view pharmacy as a career but as simply a job that pays the bills.