Pharmacy and tech are two historically male-dominated fields. So our co-founder Kavita Nadan sits down and shares her advice for working in both.
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Category: Pharmacy Insights
NSW and QLD, we’re live!
When we launched Locumate a few short months ago in Victoria, we said we’d let you know once we were available in other states.
Well, that time has come.
The Locumate app, and all its features, is now officially available for pharmacies and locums in NSW and QLD.
Pharmacies can start posting jobs and finding the right locums for their business, while locums can start browsing for work opportunities and filling the shifts they want and need.
We started Locumate because we knew there was a better way to give locums and pharmacies, just like you, control of their staff and their careers.
If you’re in NSW or QLD, download our app today and try it for yourself.
Our co-founder Kavi on why she started Locumate
Our co-founder Kavita Nadan shares why she started Locumate, what problems our technology is aiming to solve, and the benefits for pharmacies and locums alike. Come and meet the face behind our app!
Refresh your dispensing skills with Z Software
Team Z believe that software development should be an evolution, a perpetual cycle of adapting and developing to new technologies. A constant strive towards empowering pharmacies with the capabilities to achieve what is not achievable today; a Zero boundary attitude towards pharmacy software development.
The team started out by developing the highly feature rich, versatile dispensing system formerly known as DispenseIT. DispenseIT was originally marketed and sold as a package in combination with an externally built POS system. Despite reasonable success, it was soon evident that DispenseIT required a partnering POS system which would truly maximise its features and forward thinking foundations. The team went back to work.
After extensive research and development (and espressos) the Z team produced an equally impressive POS and back office. A fully integrated ‘Next Gen’ system. Z was born.
The icons below provide quick guides to familiarise yourself with Z Software.
Got a question about Z Software?
It’s official: our new invoicing feature is here!
If you’re a Locumate locum, you can now stop spending time manually submitting invoices and start thinking about what you’re going to be doing with all that time you’ll save with our new invoicing feature.
We recently wrote about how Locumate is changing the invoicing experience, and we’re proud to announce the launch of our new automatic invoicing feature.
Our latest release means that after a locum submits a timesheet, the pharmacy approves it, and an invoice is simply and automatically created, all from the Locumate app. It also means that once a locum clicks on a job, we’ll show you the pay rate, whether travel costs are paid and what they are, plus expected salary for the shift.
Thi Tran, a locum pharmacist in Melbourne, says the payment process is simple. “Once you finish the shift it reminds you to conclude it and put through the payment. It makes the process much easier. You save time sitting down on your laptop and doing invoices. Basically once you agree to the shift, you turn up to work, finish, and submit the invoice online.”
We know that it’s an incredibly difficult time for pharmacies and locums alike right now, so we’re continuing to work hard to improve our processes and make life easier for our community. Ultimately, we believe locums should be in control of how much they should be paid, while pharmacies should know their expected costs upfront to make budgeting and planning easier.
Low pharmacy wages: how we’re working towards improvement
Pharmacy Wages: A Contentious Topic in the Industry
It’s easy to see why pharmacy wages continue to be a contentious topic, particularly among pharmacy students. 2021 data revealed that pharmacy graduates are among the lowest paid in Australia, with a starting median salary of just $48,000. According to the Professional Pharmacists Australia report, “Community and Hospital Pharmacists Employment and Remuneration Report 2019-20”, pharmacy graduates continue to be some of the poorest paid graduates in Australia. For multiple years in a row the commencing rates of pay for pharmacists have been the lowest of any study area.
Challenges in the Pharmacy Sector: Low Pay and Stress
And as if that wasn’t enough, the report states that “poor pay, stress and a lack of support, particularly amongst the discount chains, continues to ferment a crisis in the sector that will see talented individuals abandon pharmacy for greener pastures.”
Our Approach to Improving Pharmacy Wages
As an organisation passionate about fostering the next generation of pharmacists and providing support to locums and pharmacies, this is a worrying trend. But it’s one we’re actively working to combat.
Empowering Locums: Taking Control of Pharmacy Wages
With a generally low Pharmacy Industry award, we believe in giving locums the ability to set their own rates, taking into account their scope, experience, market rate, and preference. We believe that empowering locums – no matter how much experience they have – means that they’ll be more satisfied, while pharmacies will have better transparency and oversight of how much a locum charges.
Towards a Tiered Approach to Setting Pharmacy Wages
But that’s just the start. We’re working on the functionality to deliver a tiered approach to setting rates. That is, a locum will be able to select a rate attached to clear outcomes and expectations. So an administrative based pharmacy shift might be lower than a customer-facing shift. This benefits the pharmacy, too. A pharmacy will be able to budget according to the work and the type of locum they require, while having a clear understanding of expectations.
Future of Pharmacy Wages: Our Commitment
We’ve only just started exploring and working towards this feature, but it’s on the horizon and we’ll keep you posted every step of the way. We’re eager to be part of the conversation – and hopefully the solution – to improving wages in our sector.
Resourcing over the holiday season
Navigating the Busy Holiday Season in Australian Pharmacies
Whether it’s sorting out repeat prescriptions, gift buying, school holiday season, or regional pharmacies dealing with sunburnt holidaymakers, it’s no secret that summer in Australia brings with it a busy time for pharmacists. Now, we’re not complaining here; ask any pharmacist and they’ll tell you that a bustling store is one hundred times better than a quiet one.
Staffing Challenges During the Holiday Season
But mix an increased demand with regular staff on leave and all of a sudden what should be an exciting, lively time turns into a recipe for stress, understaffing and customer dissatisfaction.
Maintaining Balance with Locumate During the Holiday Season
But just because everyone else is having a great time on holidays doesn’t mean you can’t relax, either. That’s where Locumate comes in.
Locums: Make the Most of the Holiday Season with Extra Shifts
For locums, it’s a great time to pick up extra shifts, and we’re here to help make finding those shifts easier than ever. By creating a free profile and sharing your availability and rates on the Locumate app, you’ll be able to browse jobs according to your preferences. From there, you can accept shifts and communicate with pharmacies directly. You’ll know exactly how much you’ll be paid (great for holiday budgeting) and what software a pharmacy uses before accepting a shift. Submit invoices and get paid on time, and view your schedule in our handy calendar.
Pharmacies: Ensure Smooth Operations During the Holiday Season with Locumate
For pharmacies, Locumate locums can help fill gaps in your rostering, from adding extra resources during peak times, to finding someone to cover for your regular staff quickly. Creating a job is quick and easy, and once a locum approves it, you’ll be able to communicate directly for a smooth arrival and transition. You’ll also be able to see how much a locum charges up front (which is also good for your holiday budgeting)!
Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday Season with Locumate
So remember, the silly season doesn’t have to be stressfully silly. Don’t get caught out by being understaffed this summer. A little bit of planning and harnessing technology can go a long way. Find out more at: https://locumate.com.au/
How Locumate Works
Whether you’re a pharmacy looking for staff or a locum wanting work, Locumate is Australia’s number one locum marketplace. You will want to know how Locumate works. We’re transforming the locum recruitment experience by offering a smarter way for pharmacies and locums to connect. Visit the AppStore or Google Playstore to download Locumate.
Here’s how it works:
Pharmacies:
- Create a free account and answer a number of quick questions about your pharmacy, e.g. number of scripts being dispensed, what software you use, and whether you provide pharmacotherapy.
- Create a new job whenever you need a locum. All your details are saved so you don’t need to enter your pharmacy information each time.
- Once a locum accepts a shift, view their profile and communicate directly for a smooth arrival and transition to the job.
- Know exactly how much a locum charges upfront
- Leave a review and feedback to empower locums to do the job well
- Approve shifts and finalise payment with the click of a button
Locums:
- Create a free profile and share your availability and rates
- Browse and get notified of jobs that best fit your preferences and profile
- Understand what software a pharmacy uses, how many scripts are dispensed and if you’re required to provide pharmacotherapy, all before you accept a shift
- Accept a shift and communicate with the pharmacy directly.
- View your schedule in a simple calendar
- Provide feedback to pharmacies
- Submit invoices and get paid on time, with no more complications about invoicing, GST summaries and other sole trader frustrations
We know that by equipping both pharmacies and locums with the right technology, we’re making the locum experience simple, straightforward and empowering for everyone involved.
We’re live: Locumate has launched!
Kavita Nadan – Locumate Co-Founder
I’ve spent the last couple of years imagining, designing, building and testing the idea of a platform for pharmacies and locums to connect directly. I’ve spent an equal amount of time reimagining, redesigning, rebuilding, and retesting everything we thought we knew. So today, it brings me great joy to announce the launch of Locumate!
The launch is a phased roll out across Victoria, with the rest of Australia to follow. As a pharmacist, I’ve had first-hand experience on both sides of our platform; as a bright-eyed bushy tailed pharmacy graduate looking for work, and as a pharmacy manager, desperately wrangling last-minute locum shifts through agencies I had no control or oversight of.
It’s this experience that led to the genesis of Locumate. The feeling that there just had to be a better way, for everyone involved. A way to give pharmacies control of asking for what they need, simplicity in a booking process, and transparency in who they work with and what they’ll be charged. Equally for locums, we wanted a way to choose where and when they’d like to work, clarity over how much they’ll be paid before taking a job, and a seamless way to get paid and view their shifts.
As we forged ahead with this project, it dawned on us that we weren’t alone thinking that there had to be a solution. I’ve always valued innovation, building, failing and learning quickly. But the best way to innovate and to learn is to put your product in the hands of your customers, and to involve them in every step of the way. So we did. A group of pharmacies and locums have been trialling Locumate, and have shared what they think:
“All I’ve done so far is set it up and approve a couple of time sheets. That was all easy. I got an email saying that there were submitted timesheets and to please action, which I was able to do easily. I’d recommend it, we use a lot of locums here. So far so good!” – J.,Pharmacy Manager.
“Locumate has got a lot of merit, I can’t see much fault at all. I like the way it tells you in advance when your shifts are. I like it very very much. I think it’s a very clever step forward in the right direction.” – A., locum.
I’m incredibly proud to launch Locumate today, but I’m more excited for what’s ahead. I’m passionate about building an empowered community of pharmacies and locums, and I think this starts by giving our community choices that they’ve never had before. This includes the ability to make decisions over how they’d like to work, develop and learn together, plus a digital solution to bring it all together.
We know that there’s a better way, and we’d love for you to come on the journey with us. This is just the beginning.
Kavi