Questions to ask before accepting a locum pharmacist shift

A shift that looked like a good rate can turn out to be a poor one: an unpaid hour, a long drive, a pharmacy with one dispenser and three hundred items. These are the questions worth asking before you say yes, and the answers worth getting in writing.

The money

• What is the hourly rate, and is it the same for the whole shift? Some pharmacies pay more for the first or last hour, weekends or bank holidays.
• Is the break paid? On a nine-hour day an unpaid hour is over 10% of the fee.
• Do you pay travel, mileage or accommodation? For a long drive, ask for mileage or build it into your rate.
• When and how do you pay? Get the payment terms, and who to send the invoice to.

The shift

• What are the exact times? Opening and closing, and whether you are expected before opening.
• How busy is it? Roughly how many items a day, and whether there is a care home or multi-compartment compliance aid workload.
• Who will be there? The number of dispensers and counter staff, and whether there is an accuracy checking technician.
• Which services are expected? Vaccinations, consultations and clinical services, and whether any are booked in already.
• Which PMR system? Useful to know if you have not used it before.

The terms

• What happens if the pharmacy cancels? Agree a notice period, and a cancellation fee if they cancel late.
• Can you send a substitute if you cannot make it? The answer matters for your employment status as well as for your diary.
• Is it one shift or a block? A regular block might justify a different rate, in either direction.

To check whether a shift is worth taking at the rate offered, put it into the rate calculator.