There has been much debate surrounding the impact of rising locum rates and pharmacy closures. The BBC and other media outlets have recently covered the hot topic that revolves around the assumption that the pharmacy industry has a lack of pharmacists.

In contrast of this view critics controversially claim there is no shortage of pharmacists but that pharmacists do not want to work under current conditions or receive their current wages.

What happens if you can’t open your pharmacy?

Legally, a pharmacy cannot open its doors to the public when a responsible pharmacist is not present. If you can’t open your store you could face fines due to having an unplanned closure.

In fact, we’ve done our calculations and based on industry averages we’ve worked out that a branch closure can cost a pharmacy up to £7,000 per day.

This is broken down by the following:

• Loss of Custom (Dispensed) - 85% of turnover = £6,504.20*
• Loss of Custom (Retail) - 15% of turnover = £1,147.84

Unplanned absences

Despite how organised you are at planning your rota some circumstances are unavoidable. For example, if your scheduled pharmacist is sick unexpectedly and cannot work their shift, this can cause significant challenges to your business.

With this crucial gap in your rota, you may rely on external agencies to find an available pharmacist if you don’t have a reliable pool of direct locums. Locum pharmacists typically demand a higher wage than your permanent full-time staff. According to our recent market rates study, the average locum pharmacist hourly rate for the UK was £37.49 which has risen by £4.81 from 2021.

How can I manage locum rates for my area?

Using our market rate study, we recommend you set your locum pharmacist rates at the fair and correct market rate for your area. By having this rate benchmark you will be able to contact your direct pool of locum pharmacists with emergency shifts that need filled. With our locum management system you are able to plan your rota up to 6 months in advance that will allow you to reduce gaps in the rota.

Whilst some absences are unavoidable, with our platform you will be able to instantly post a shift and your direct locums will be notified. They can either accept or decline but you will be notified in seconds when they respond. Our platform has allowed Superdrug to save £300,000 in agency fees and eliminate branch closures from their business.

What is the Locate a Locum rates study?

Every quarter we conduct analysis and reporting on shifts posted to our platform to investigate average rates for each UK nation and the largest cities in these.

Get in contact

If you have any questions about our locum management system or would like advice on whether your rates are benchmarking against other pharmacies in your area contact us here. To receive a copy of our latest market rates study complete the below form to receive it straight to your inbox.