If you’ve looked into a career as a pharmacist, it’s possible that you’ve come across the term locum pharmacist, but what does it mean? The word “locum” comes from the Latin “locum tenes”, meaning “placeholder”.
Locum pharmacists work in temporary positions, carrying out vital services while necessary. Here’s a general overview of what professional life looks like for a locum pharmacist.
Temporary roles
As you will have gathered from the above, with the help of agencies like Pharma Seekers, locum pharmacists work on a temporary basis while the pharmacist who usually holds that position is unable to, for a variety of reasons.
That position will generally be one which is essential for the care of patients, whether in a community pharmacy, a hospital, or some other healthcare facility. As a locum pharmacist, your role is to ensure that there is as much continuity of care as possible, until a more permanent solution can be found.
What do locum pharmacists do?
Lucom pharmacists carry out basically the same responsibilities as ‘normal’ pharmacists. These include:
Dispensing medications
In many cases, locum pharmacists will be responsible for dispensing medications in an efficient and accurate manner. They’ll be responsible for looking over prescriptions, verifying information given to them by patients, and a wide range of other related tasks. They’ll need to keep up to date with and follow professional guidelines, in order to ensure that they provide the best care possible for their patients.
Managing medications
As a result of in-depth training on medication, locum pharmacists will often be responsible for informing patients on things like dosage and potential side effects, while also looking out for any combinations of medications that could potentially interact with each other in a negative manner. They’ll sometimes need to liaise with other medical professionals, to ensure that the advice that they give is in line with the rest of the medical advice provided.
Ensuring compliance with regulations
The healthcare industry is subject to strict regulation, and for good reasons. Small slip-ups can have massive negative effects on the well-being of patients, and these regulations aim to keep unnecessary mistakes to an absolute minimum.
Locum pharmacists are responsible for ensuring that there is complete compliance with these regulations, by adhering to the highest possible professional standards. It’s an ongoing commitment, one that requires constant care and attention.
Why be a locum pharmacist?
Being a locum pharmacist can come with a wide range of personal and professional developments.
Adaptability
As a locum pharmacist, you’ll be able to experience a wide range of different work environments. If you like to experience different things and professional situations, it may be the career for you.
Professional development
As a result of experiencing different professional environments, locum pharmacists often experience impressive rates of professional development. You’ll often be thrown in the deep end, and that pressure to learn can have wonderful positive consequences on your career trajectory.
There are many reasons besides these to become a locum pharmacist, but this should have provided you with some insight into just why it’s such a popular career choice. Whether you’re looking into becoming a pharmacist, or you’re already qualified and you’re looking for a change of scene, it’s definitely something to consider.
