Month: May 2023

How pharmacies can benefit from having locums

Posted on | by Locumate

Locums have been essential in supporting pharmacies during times of cover, whether it be for annual leave, sick leave or when it generally gets busy. However, for a lot of pharmacies, the need for a locum can be an important decision, especially when costs, efficiency and disruption to workflow need to be considered.

Pharmacies & Locums help each other.

Although these are all important factors to take into account, pharmacies still need to ensure they are adequately staffed according to the workload and busy periods in a pharmacy. With Locumate, we understand time can be a constraint to organising locums; therefore, we have put simplicity and ease at the forefront of our design. Allowing the managers and owners to focus on running their business!

Pharmacies - Enhancing Skills and Knowledge in Pharmacy Education and Training

What are the main 3 reasons for pharmacies to employ a locum?:

  1. Rest & Recharge: having a locum cover shifts, especially annual leave, allows the pharmacist to take time off with the comfort of having a qualified, experienced colleague come in and work their shifts. It is essential for pharmacists to work at the peak of their ability through a proper work-life balance, where taking a break should be a priority. 
  2. Reduce workload: if a pharmacy finds it challenging to manage workload due to reduced staffing levels, locums can help fill in the gaps and reduce some of the stress in pharmacies. Having adequate staffing levels helps to assist with tasks such as webster checking, vaccinations or serving patients, is important in maintaining customer satisfaction, delivering quality healthcare and boosting team morale.
  3. Fresh perspectives: sometimes locums can offer new ideas and solutions to processes or workflow optimisation. They have usually worked in a variety of different settings and can help contribute by offering insights from their experience. 

In summary, although locums are there to cover a shift, it’s important to recognise their contribution goes far beyond this. With a locum that feels welcomed and supported in their work environment, it can present as a great opportunity to improve on existing efficiencies and give an employee a well-deserved break.

Compliance and Why it’s so important in Pharmacy

Posted on | by Locumate

Understanding the Importance of Compliance in the Workplace

We often discuss the critical role of maintaining compliance in our workplaces. So, what’s the reason behind this? The simple answer is that uniform compliance helps establish a structured, law-abiding workplace environment. At Locumate, we deeply value and steadfastly commit to ensuring compliance for all our clients.

More Than Just Following Rules

Compliance isn’t just about abiding by rules; it plays a vital role in the practice of pharmacy. It’s a fundamental requirement for guaranteeing the safety and quality of medicines, safeguarding patients’ and consumers’ health and rights, and circumventing legal and ethical dilemmas for pharmacists and pharmacy owners. Compliance aids in covering all aspects of pharmacy practice, such as licensing and registrations, patient care standards, quality assurance, and adherence to laws and regulations.

Ensuring Compliance with Locumate: Features and Support

Achieving the advantages of compliance and evading the perils of non-compliance can be accomplished by implementing effective procedures in your pharmacy. Locumate aids this process by continuously updating, introducing, and modifying features that ensure consistent compliance. For instance, when Covid Certificates became mandatory for all pharmacists, Locumate quickly integrated this requirement into the platform. Compliance remains our utmost priority, and we consistently innovate to embed it across the platform.

Focusing on Compliance in Locum Hiring

One of our significant emphases is on establishing a comprehensive compliance package for locum hiring. Pharmacies must clarify the terms and conditions of their contract with locums, such as duration, rate, payment method, and cancellation policy. Furthermore, it’s essential for locums to understand their self-employed status and responsibilities to pay tax and professional indemnity insurance.

Streamlining Compliance Process with Locumate

With Locumate, as soon as a locum accepts a shift at a pharmacy, a binding contract takes effect. All necessary shift details are contained within the platform, simplifying invoicing processes. The platform also creates a separate invoice containing the super contribution for the locum.

Pharmacy compliance and locum hiring management through Locumate app

Ensuring Compliance from Start to Finish with Locumate

Locumate ensures compliance at every stage of the process from the beginning to the end of an engagement. Thus, you can be confident that your pharmacy is establishing a safe, legal, and compliant workplace.

Download Locumate Today!

Locumate is available on the Apple AppStore and Google Playstore.

Alternatively, visit app.locumate.com.au to get started!