The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 266 No 7150 p749-752
June 2, 2001

  The Profession
  PSNC
  In-store pharmacies
  Packaging
  Medicines supply
  Depression
  Locum pharmacy
  The army
  Methadone dispensing

Locum pharmacy

Body needed to enforce proper conduct on locum users

From Mr R. S. Boorman, MRPharmS

I read with interest the letters in The Journal relating to employment and locum pharmacists. It is obvious to me that many locums do not understand that the service they are offering is of a commercial nature essentially related to profitability, which happens to require the skills of a pharmacist. As a private contractor the locum must understand what service the client wants and what the locum is prepared to offer. It is likely that there will be some degree of compromise but the locum does not have to agree to a contract that they do not want. Any breach of contract is capable of being dealt with in an appropriate way.

Recently I agreed a 49-day contract, over a 12-week period, for locum services at a specific location for specific times at specific rates for work and travelling. This contract was with an area manager of a major multiple and was confirmed by me in writing the same day as the agreement was made, more than two weeks before the work started.

To begin with I provided the service and my charges as invoiced were paid on time at the agreed rate. It then became apparent that due to staff changes, the service that I provided was not required at the specific location and I agreed to reasonable adjustments of location. Later it became apparent that there were insufficient locations to use my services. I pointed out that there was a contract and it would have to be honoured but I agreed to search out other work to mitigate my loss and to ease the problems of the area manager.

For various reasons I did not receive remittance advices for the payments made to me by the multiple during the first few weeks, but on checking my bank statement it was clear that my invoices were not being paid at the agreed rate. It was admitted by the area manager that she was reducing them to her standard “rate” before approving payment (which was less than the agreed rate) but she had not said a word to me about her action. I asked if she would honour the contract as to location, times and rate. She refused to do so and thus I repudiated the contract instantly.

I wrote to the regional manager of the company concerned requesting compensation for the three clear breaches of contract that had occurred namely, location, work volume and rate. I have already indicated to the Professional Standards Directorate of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society that this type of conduct flies in the face of professional good conduct but it is unable either to comment on the legal issues of the case stated or to get involved in contract disputes between members of the Society. The regional manager refuses to deal with the matter and claims that the area manager acted reasonably.

I have already discovered that I am not the only locum pharmacist to receive such treatment and I would be pleased to hear from anyone with any similar experience.

It is clear to me that unless there is an independent body able to enforce proper conduct on the users of service provided by locum pharmacists then the employment conditions of pharmacists as locums will not improve.

Robert S. Boorman
159 Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DW

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