Elevating Pharmacy Operations Through Feedback

In the fast-paced world of pharmacy operations, continuous improvement is key to success and satisfaction—for both your team and the locum pharmacists you partner with. In our newsletter this week, we wanted to highlight the invaluable tool we have built into our platform in this quest for excellence: our feedback feature, accessible immediately after approving a locum’s timesheet.

pharmacy feedback collection EDITED

This feature does more than collect comments; it’s a cornerstone for building stronger, more effective collaborations between pharmacies and locum pharmacists. Your feedback helps us tailor the Locumate experience, ensuring the platform meets your specific needs and preferences. Moreover, it provides locum pharmacists with constructive insights on how they can better align with your operational goals and expectations, enhancing the quality of care provided to your customers.

Engaging with our feedback system helps contribute to the culture of continuous improvement and open communication we want to cultivate on the platform. By sharing your experiences and suggestions, you help shape a more efficient, supportive, and responsive ecosystem that benefits pharmacies and locum pharmacists alike.

Please take a moment to share your feedback after each engagement if you aren’t already, and always feel free to share any additional thoughts or experience you have with our Support team at [email protected] – they are always here to listen and support you. Together, we can redefine the standards of locum support and pharmacy operations.

Kind regards,  
The Locumate Team 

Harness the Power of Your Voice with Our Feedback Feature

At Locumate, we’re committed to enhancing your locum experience, ensuring each shift you take is more rewarding than the last. That’s why this week, we wanted to highlight the crucial feedback feature we have built directly within our app, which empowers you to share your insights and experiences after submitting your timesheet.

 

Locum feedback collection EDITED

This feedback tool is more than just a formality; it’s your direct line to shaping a better working environment. Whether it’s praising a particularly supportive pharmacy team or highlighting areas for improvement, your feedback plays a pivotal role in refining the Locumate experience for all. By sharing your thoughts, you can help pharmacies understand how they can better support locum pharmacists while also aiding in the continual enhancement of our platform. This ensures that Locumate remains responsive to your needs, facilitating better matches and more satisfying shifts.

We encourage you to make the most of this feature and always welcome any additional thoughts or experience you would like to share. Please feel free to reach out to our Support team at [email protected] – they are always here to listen and support you. Your voice matters, and we are eager for your thoughts on how we can create a more cohesive, supportive, and efficient working community for locum pharmacists everywhere.

Kind regards,  
The Locumate Team 

Transferrable Skills in Pharmacy: More than clinical knowledge

While pharmacists are known for their vast clinical knowledge on medications,
medical conditions, and available treatments, working in pharmacy equips you with a
diverse set of transferrable skills that can be valuable in various fields. Just by
working and studying in this field, here are some of the skills you are inherently
developing:

Communication Skills

Pharmacy is a communication game. Pharmacists regularly interact with patients,
healthcare professionals, and colleagues. Their need to convey complex medical
information in a clear and understandable manner hones their verbal and written
communication skills.

Attention to Detail

Dispensing and checking medications requires precision and accuracy. Pharmacists
develop keen attention to detail to ensure that prescriptions are filled correctly and
that patients receive the right medication at the right dose at the right time.

Problem-Solving Abilities

As the medication supply health professional, pharmacists are exposed to reviewing
drug interactions, considering financial issues, and mitigating medication shortages.
They must analyse situations, identify problems, and develop effective solutions to
ensure patient safety and satisfaction, whether that is in community or hospital
settings.

Time Management

Providing healthcare generally lends itself to a busy work environment, meaning that
work often involves juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, such as filling
prescriptions, counselling patients, and managing inventory. They must learn to
prioritise their workload and manage their time efficiently to meet deadlines and
provide timely service.

Customer Service Skills

Providing excellent customer service is essential to building credibility and trust
between patients. Pharmacists must be empathetic, approachable, and patient-
centred when addressing patients’ concerns or questions.

Technical Proficiency

Pharmacists use various technologies and software systems to manage patient
records, process prescriptions, or conduct drug research. They develop technical
proficiency in utilising these tools effectively so that their processes are streamlined.
These transferrable skills make pharmacists well-suited for management, education,
or research roles. They are an indispensable part to any work team!

Is super really that important?

In the fast-paced world of the modern gig economy, where flexibility and autonomy are prized, the importance of superannuation, commonly known as “super,” can sometimes be overlooked. Yet, for on-demand shift workers, sole traders, and locum pharmacists, understanding the significance of super is vital for establishing financial stability both in the present and for the future.

 

But what exactly is super, and why does it matter? Superannuation serves as a long-term savings plan designed to provide financial support during retirement. Typically, it involves mandatory contributions made by employers on behalf of their employees, calculated as a percentage of their earnings. For sole traders and on-demand shift workers, the responsibility often falls on their shoulders to manage their super contributions.

 

Now, let’s get into the specifics. Understanding the rates of super contributions is crucial. Currently, in Australia, the standard rate of superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions stands at 10% of an employee’s ordinary time earnings. However, it’s worth noting that this rate can vary based on specific circumstances or agreements.

 

For locum pharmacists and on-demand shift workers, navigating the complexities of super can be challenging. One crucial aspect to grasp is the distinction between super inclusive and super exclusive rates. Super inclusive involves including super contributions as part of the overall pay rate, whereas super exclusive entails paying super on top of the base rate. At Locumate, your rate of pay is displayed excluding super, providing clarity on your take-home pay.

 

Now, let’s discuss why super matters, particularly for those in the gig economy. As an on-demand shift worker or locum pharmacist, you essentially act as your own boss, responsible for managing your finances and securing your future. Contributing to super ensures that you’re building a nest egg for retirement, safeguarding your financial well-being down the line.

 

Thankfully, Locumate has streamlined this process, enabling automatic super contributions through the app. This allows you to enjoy the benefits of super similar to a permanent employee while maintaining the flexibility of an on-demand employer.

 

In conclusion, super isn’t just another financial obligation; it’s an investment in your future self. For on-demand shift workers, sole traders, and locum pharmacists, understanding the nuances of super contributions is essential. By prioritising super, you’re setting the stage for a secure and prosperous retirement, ensuring that your hard work today pays dividends tomorrow.

What can I do with my pharmacy degree?

Are you thinking of studying pharmacy? Or are you already in the middle of your degree still wondering what you can do after you graduate? Fortunately, a pharmacy degree in Australia can lead to various career paths within the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Some common jobs are outlined below!

Community Pharmacist

As the most common pharmacy role in Australia, these pharmacists are especially important in being first points of contact to the public. They are primarily involved with long-term management and supply of medications to patients, however their knowledge spans multiple areas: they must be skilled in diagnosing common ailments, recognising referral points, and recommending treatments available without a prescription. They are also responsible for overseeing dispensing medications, counselling on the safe and effective use of medications, and offering general health advice. Other services that can be offered are vaccination services, travel health recommendations, and compounded medications. 

Locum Pharmacist

If you like the idea of working as a community pharmacist but want more freedom with scheduling shifts, becoming a locum pharmacist may be the perfect pathway for you. They are contractors or “fill in” pharmacists in community pharmacies – so depending on what shifts you take, you could be in pharmacies close to home, travelling all over your state, or maybe even around the country! This role is suited for pharmacists who excel in adapting to new environments, and gives a unique opportunity to broaden your skills and services by having experience in different workplaces. If you would like to know more on locuming, visit locumate.com.au for more practical information.

Hospital Ward Pharmacist

Working in a hospital setting lends itself to typically more complex health problems. This includes communicating with doctors, supplying medications to nurses, and preparing admission and discharge plans to ensure optimal medication therapy. They provide direct patient care, whether it is through participating in patient rounds, creating medication action plans, and assisting in the selection and monitoring of medications. As a highly clinical role, you are guaranteed to learn something new every day!

Academic Pharmacist

There are many roles that can be attributed to include teaching and conducting research, or evaluating the safe use of medications to contribute to the advancement of and integration of pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences. For example, clinical educators in hospitals facilitate education sessions to disseminate the most updated information. Quality Use of Medicines pharmacists oversee pharmacy processes in facilities (usually hospitals) to ensure the safe use and administration of medications. These roles are important in guiding the current and next generation of pharmacists to optimise their practice. 

Industrial Pharmacist

They are responsible for the development, manufacturing, and quality control of medications, as well conducting research and development of new drugs. While this role is not as clinical, extensive knowledge of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics is essential. If you have a keen interest in the chemistry behind how medications work, this could be a rewarding career pathway both to advance your own personal knowledge, but also contribute to greater medication research. 

While these are just a few examples, there are still many other career opportunities available to pharmacy graduates in Australia depending on your interests and areas of specialisation. Whether you love talking to patients, you prefer to read through journal articles, or get hands-on with making medications, there is definitely a career pathway for every person after graduation. 

Pharmacy Update: Pay rate display change

Pay Rate display changes  

As part of our recent release of Locumate version 2.0, we made a few adjustments to make your experience on the platform even better. Today, we wanted to chat about the changes we made to how your pay rate is displayed.  

We know how confusing it can be when you are trying to calculate how much you can afford to pay the locum when there is super, travel, tax and so many other things to consider. To make this easier for you, we updated the rates advertised for each shift to now be displayed without super.  

So, what does this mean for you and your pharmacy?  

When you are posting shifts, you will see the payment range for the shift excluding super, so you know exactly what the locum will need to receive in their bank account. Our built-in calculator will then automatically determine the super amount and display the total compensation you will be expected to pay. This saves you time and effort in calculating total costs and enables you to budget accordingly.  

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Figure 1. When posting a shift, you will enter the payment range excluding super, and the Locumate calculator will automatically inform you of the super amounts and the total rates including super 

You’ll be able to see how much super you will need to pay the locum when you accept their timesheet. 

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Figure 2. View how much super you will need to pay the locum when you accept their timesheet.  

You can also review your super contribution when you receive your invoices.  

We hope this provides some clarity and explains how this change makes it easier for you to know exactly how much you are spending on your locums.   

Thank you again for your patience, support and for being part of the Locumate Family!  

Kind regards,  
The Locumate Team