Survey results highlight locum pharmacists' problems

Stimulated by the high number of problems reported by its locum pharmacist members, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) recently conducted a random survey of 145 locums.

The survey results showed that, within the last six months:

• 1 in 3 respondents (36%) had experienced problems with late payments;
• 1 in 4 respondents (25%) had experienced problems with last minute changes in terms and conditions; and
• 1 in 3 respondents (36%) had been double booked.

"Locum employers need to get their houses in order," commented Mark Koziol, PDA Director. "This summer we handled a record number of complaints from our locum members, about the activities of some employers."

The problems identified by the PDA survey, as being the big issues for locums this summer, were:

First - some employers had problems with administering payments, which meant that a number of locums experienced significant delays in receiving their payments.

Secondly - some employers routinely disregarded arrangements for higher levels of payment made between locum agencies and locums, on their behalf. Instead, they simply paid locums as per their standard terms. Typically, this problem occurred when a locum had been persuaded by an agency to travel a long distance to their client's pharmacy or to work on their day off, on the understanding that this would result in their being paid a higher than usual, emergency fee. When the locum submitted an invoice for their service charged at this higher rate, some employers' payroll departments struck out the higher rate and simply paid the locum at the regular non-emergency hourly rate.

Thirdly - some employers cancelled previously agreed bookings at very short notice, or double-booked locums without pay, as they made belated alternative arrangements.

"Locums have always been vulnerable to the impositions placed upon them by employers, as what happens with their payments is very much left in the hands of the employers, once they have completed the bookings," added Mr Koziol. "Generally, employers take care not to upset locums through poor payment systems or last minute cancellations as they know that if they do, then the locums are unlikely to return; however, this summer we have seen an extra-ordinarily high level of complaints. Some locums are very good at digging in and pursuing poor payers, others simply give up altogether."

According to the PDA, some employers do not appear to understand that any arrangements made between locum agencies and locums are legally binding on the employers, if they authorised the agencies to act on their behalf. "Employers cannot simply override these arrangements and pay locums at a lower rate than that negotiated by locum agencies, because they fall outside their preferred norms," concluded Mr Koziol. "Such actions can lead to legal recourse. The PDA takes these issues very seriously and has acted both formally and informally to secure decent outcomes for locums who have been poorly treated. We encourage all locums to protect their relationships with employers by using our recently published 'Contract for services' document."

ENDS

NOTE FOR EDITORS

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA)

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is a not for profit organisation which aims is to act upon and support the needs of individual pharmacists and, when necessary, to defend their reputation. PDA currently has more than 10,000 members.

The primary aims of the PDA are to;

• Support pharmacists in their legal, practice and employment needs.
• Provide insurance cover to safeguard and defend the reputation of the individual pharmacist.
• Proactively seek to influence the professional, practice and employment agenda to support members.
• Lead and support initiatives designed to improve the knowledge and skills of pharmacists in managing risk and safe practices, so improving patient care.
• Work with like-minded organisations to further improve the membership benefits to individual pharmacists.

Interviews

Locum pharmacists who have experienced the types of problems with employers identified by the PDA survey are available for interview.

Editors requiring further information should contact:

Colin Martin

Public relations consultant

32 Woodstock Road

London W4 1UF

Tel: 020 8994 1639

Mob: 07931 560 141

Fax: 020 8747 9185

Email: cmpubrel@aol.com