Tips for New Locums
The term locum is short for locum tenens a phrase which means, literally, holding the place. Working as a locum means having all the responsibility of a manager or owner without necessarily being familiar with the pharmacy: it is no soft option. The professional obligations of a locum are essentially the same as those of any other pharmacist, but the specific tasks required can vary from pharmacy to pharmacy, and will depend to some extent on the experience and training of the staff as well as the normal working practices of the manager or owner (see Tips for new locums panel, above). As a guide, however, locums in community pharmacy may be expected to endorse, count, record and file prescriptions; order dispensary and counter stock; complete an end-of-the day back-up on the computer; cash up and bank the takings; pay staff wages; lock up the pharmacy and set the burglar alarm; and deliver prescriptions to patients and residential homes. In most cases, hospital locums are expected to work in the dispensary, although this will depend on the experience of the locum and will vary between hospitals. However, locums may sometimes be expected to visit wards to review drug charts and check patients
Keeping Up-To-Date
Keeping up to date and continuing your professional development is as important for locums as it is for all pharmacists, and in the context of clinical governance is definitely not an optional extra. It is therefore important to read The Pharmaceutical Journal each month, make use of the distance learning packs and workshops provided by the Centres for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education and attend conferences where possible. Consideration should also be given to taking out subscriptions to other publications such as the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, as well as making use of the internet, local drug information centres and post-graduate medical centres. For pharmacists who have not worked for a while, returning to practice can be quite daunting, and again the Centres for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education can be of great assistance.