Locum pharmacists will soon be able to receive details of potential work placements through mobile phones using a new service from PAI Ltd called Clicklocum.
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Paul Jhass: total locum management package |
Mr Jhass described Clicklocum as a "total locum management system". He said that the website would store all the details of availability, hours worked and payments made. It would allow locums to send automatic confirmation letters, make day reports, store contact details and provide information for invoices and tax returns.
"Our primary objective is to put technology into the hands of pharmacists. This system will connect people more quickly than with manual systems, something which will be important with the continuing manpower shortage," he said.
PAI Ltd is a marketing company which was founded by Mr Waqar Mizra seven years ago. It specialises in traditional marketing and design services as well as "internet incubation" - setting up e-commerce ventures with a view to selling them off once established. Mr Mizra told The Journal that the company looked at traditional areas, such as recruitment, to see how new technology could be applied to them. Prior to its work on Clicklocum, PAI had established a general recruitment website (www.magicpond.com). Some of the technology from this had been used to develop the pharmacy locum website. All of the development and programming for the websites was done in-house by the company's own designers.
The Clicklocum system was designed to be adaptable to other systems, Mr Mizra said. It might also be available through interactive digital television services at a later date. PAI planned to develop and establish Clicklocum ahead of a flotation or trade sale in the autumn. So far PAI had invested around £150,000 plus costs in developing the system. It was planned to establish similar systems for nurses and general medical practitioner locums at a later date.