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Letters to the Editor
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Work breaks
There has to be a balance
From Ms L. Hackett
I read with great interest Lindsey
Gilpin’s letter about work breaks
(PJ, 9 December, p687). Mrs Gilpin states that “pharmacists are expected
to work for ridiculously long periods without taking breaks”. This
is contrary to what I have found.
In my experience, it is locums themselves who are requesting to work these
extended hours and companies that are eager to put breaks and lunch hours
in place. My agency places many locums in 100-hour pharmacies and I have
a number who request to work a full day from 7am to 11pm. In stores where
two shifts are offered — 8am until 6pm or 10pm — more often
than not locums opt to do the longer shift. The locum takes a rest whenever
it is quiet and takes a break for refreshments wherever possible. At stores
where a lunch hour is listed, most locums will ask me if they can work
through, thus being paid an additional £22–£25 for the
day.
My view is that it should be up to pharmacists themselves. Some can cope
with the longer hours and some clearly prefer not to. If a compulsory lunch
break is in place, say, from 1pm to 2pm, it is not good customer service
to close if there are queues waiting to see the pharmacist and collect
prescriptions just because the clock says they have to close. Sensible
judgements from the pharmacists surely should be the order of the day.
If it is busy, wait until a quieter time and then take a break. I do try,
where possible, to negotiate with the companies, and to offer an option
that the locums can make their own decisions.
I believe that if companies could pay pharmacists through the lunch hour
regardless of whether a break is taken, then this may solve the issue.
Locums would feel as though they are not missing out financially by taking
a break, and they would be minimising errors by being less tired. However,
I appreciate this would not bode too well with companies, which are fighting
to meet budgets and maximise profits. There has to be a balance and I think
it should rest with pharmacists themselves to be responsible enough to
find that balance.
Lisa Hackett
Gemini Professionals Locum Agency |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal