How to be a locum Pharmacist

The end of your pre-registration year is looming and the wonderful world of being a locum pharmacist is just over the horizon.

So where do you go from here? Some of your peers might have already secured full time employment, some might be considering becoming a locum pharmacist, and others might not have a clue about what they plan to do next.

 

Whilst there is no right or wrong choice it’s important to start thinking about the path you’re going to take. Here is our guide on how to be a locum pharmacist

You can start the registration process right now

You will need to be fully qualified and have the required accreditations to take work with us, but you can start the registration process without them. While you are waiting for your GPHC number and other documents we can continue putting your file together so that you will be ready to take on shifts when you all of your necessary documents arrive.

So why register now?

Registering with Team Locum couldn’t be easier – It’s free, fast, and very straight forward. From time to time the registration process can be held up if references don’t get back to us straight away however so it’s always better to sign up before you really need to get out to work. You’ll also want to beat the rush of newly qualified pharmacists joining agencies over the summer.

Even if you’re unsure about working or even how to be a locum pharmacist, you’ve lost nothing by simply registering. Once you are registered you will then have the option to pick up shifts in the future if you choose to.

What you will need to provide when you sign up

To register as a locum pharmacist we ask for the following things:

• GPHC Number – As a pharmacy student you probably won’t have this just yet. For the time being you can provide us with your student GPHC number. You won’t be able to take on work until we have proof of your actual GPHC Number however, so that is worth bearing in mind.

• Indemnity Insurance – You can start the registration process before you have purchased insurance but you will require indemnity insurance before you can work as a locum pharmacist.
  
  
• DBS – We require all of our locum pharmacists to have an up to date DBS check issued within the last 12 months. Whilst you can start registering without one we won’t be able to send you on shifts until you can prove to us that you won’t be murdering any customers. You can find more information on applying for a DBS check here (LINK)

• Passport – We need to be sure that you have the right to work in the UK and the best way to do that is to provide us with a copy of your passport. If you don’t have a passport you will need to send us a copy of both your birth certificate and proof of your national insurance number. If you require a residence permit to work in the UK we will also need a copy of that.  

We will also ask for the details of two referees. To ensure that all of our locum pharmacists can provide a top quality service we require two good references. It’s best to provide us with the details of your two referees when initially starting the registration process as sometimes they can take a little while to get in touch with. 

After the initial sign up we will then ask for the following:

• Smartcard 2 – You will likely already have your smart card, but if not now is the time to ask your pre-reg tutor to sponsor you for one. It is also worth getting your smartcard unlocked for locum status so that it will work in any store.
• National Insurance – A proof of it will do if like me you have misplaced your card years ago.

When you can start work

As soon as we have all of the required accreditations, documents, and two good references we will be able to finish the registration process and send out your very own Team Locum ID card. You will also be sent a welcome email with all of the information you will need to start locuming with ourselves. Once you’ve received your welcome email you are free to apply for shifts.

So that sums up how to be a locum pharmacist. If you’re still unsure about the registration process or have any questions for our expert locum consultants feel free to give us a call!