I am 25 yrs of age, and have been a Locum Pharmacist for a year and a half. In this short time (by some people's standard) i have travelled from London, where i am resident, to places such as Great Yarmouth Devon (Exeter) and most places in between. The image of what pharmacist should be, as portrayed by the schools of pharmacy is totally different to the reality. When i was studying at ULSOP we were shown videos, made to study in depth and behave like doctors of medicinal products. but after working for a year and a half, i can see that all pharmacy is about is standing up for 8-10hrs, ticking 'checked' boxes, bagging medicines and trying to make more and more money for these greedy, ever multiplying chains of stores. and during a 9 hr shift we should be grateful to get an UN-paid break (although im 150miles from home, and unfamiliar with the area).

Due to a previous sporting-injury (ACL rupture) i have limited mobility with my right knee, accompanied by dull aching pain when i stand for a prolonged time, and shooting sharp pains when i squat low, i bear the pain day after day, while standing, without complaining to anyone. But now I have noticed that at least 70% of pharmacies decide to have the CD cupboard installed on the floor, where i have to undergo agony, just to pull out a pack of temazepam. You can't moan too much or the store or sometimes even the chain, decides not to use your services anymore - and who can blame them - i am just a Locum, and they are not obliged to use my services. I am like a disposable cup to them. And i should be happy with the £22/hr they're paying me (altough my partner, who is a nurse, gets £35 /hr while locuming.)


Morale in the Pharmacy sector, especially community has sunk, and its nothing to do with category M cuts. since i started Locuming in August 2007, pharmacy staff have always been complaining of the tight-fistedness of their employer. despite the huge profits they make from prescriptions. I have two friend who qualified with me, who both went to work with Boots. One has already left the company, while the other one is complaining of high-workloads and an area-manager who keeps pouncing on him to do more and more MURs.

I thought the community pharmacy would be a place where i would be happy, free from bullying and enable me to grow in terms of knowledge and patient skill. but it seems it was all a misconception. Now I and others in my category are forced to close our eyes, and just think about the £150 we get paid for a hard day of slave labour (including 100 miles travel, which equates to 6hours each way on the m25 during peak time, unpaid lunch break, customers / dispensary staff who think we have 'psychic' abilities, huge workload, + tons of stress).

Day after day, i try NOT to think that i made a mistake studying pharmacy, but every day that passes gets me thinking closer to the 1/3rd of people who regretted doing it. The credit crunch came to the finacnial sector due to greediness by those at the top, and if RPSGB is not careful, pharmacy will soon have its own its credit crunch, where the losses will be mainly its Pharmacists.

Three quarters of a 900 random sample wish they had never taken up pharmacy as a career. When so large a proportion are actively looking for ways of getting out, then this is serious. I retired the day I was 60. I felt unfulfilled professionally, was bored with the routine dispensing, stressed by the sheer volume of work and troubled by the increasing demands for more unpaid services. Saw strong GP unions achieving ever better terms and rewards ,while we were no longer consulted on matters which were our area of expertise. Our organisation split into unco-operating bodies, when any kind of rationale cried out for less empire building and a proper, efficient single outfit, ensuring we could act together, could set parameters for such simple things as daily workload, manadatory lunchbreaks, support in so many ways. How about a grassroot wish list, each of us putting forward just one idea for regaining professional recognition Go on, be outrageous.. A few scrawny cats among some fat pigeons?

Sorry Barbara Sutherland, this has absolutely nothing to do with category M. Its not. Most community pharmacists are employees category M simply does not keep me awake at night. My prescription volume has grown by over 50% in the last three years, the burden of paperwork has increased immensely, SOPs, health and safety assessments, contract audits, contract survey, CPD, CD record keeping, enhanced services claims. And still, only 40 hours in a working week. Worked out that I did at least 4 weeks in overtime this year. If the Society gave a damn about my workload pressures, and my stress levels they would try to work to simplify processes and reduce the number of pieces of paper that I have to complete. I spoke to the Society about warfarin, they said, that although the NPSA had no legal authority to impose its 'guidance' on me, if I chose not to follow a clear piece of best-practice guidance, then I would have to explain why I chose not to follow it if something went wrong.

The thought of being the responsible pharmacist only increases my stress levels. I'm just seeing this as a way of further transferring blame, risk and yet more responsibility onto me without any reflection of this in my pay packet. We are drowning in paperwork, that is the true cause of our stress.

As I have said in a previous post - Who is Sam Morein? He isn't on the RPSGB register of pharmacists. If Sam keeps posting without revealing who he is then he loses all credibility.
Who are you Sam???
What is your connection (if any) with community pharmacy?
As you say: "be honest" !!!

This is the reaping of the stupid control of entry regulations.

The massive increase in prescription numbers with no corresponding increase in practice numbers has directly led to this unacceptable situation.

The mantra that pharmacies will close if restrctions are loosened is now strangling the profession. The lack of competition has allowed contractors to benefit from hugely inflated goodwill values whilst simultaneously only having to invest minimally to grow their business. Proctectionism at its worst.

Let the market decide on pharmacy numbers - good practice, good facilities , well trained staff and innovation will ensure both the profession develops and that patients benefit from a world class service.

I am sure that we will now hear the usual contractors bleating on about how any competition will inevitably lead to their closure. Total bunkum - it may lead to their having to invest in their businesses and imptroving their standards to survive - and whats wrong with that?

Perhaps these same protectionist contractors could explain how their rtisk of capital is any different to any new entrant who wishes to risk capital. It is also very enlightening that existing contractors feel so insecure in their service provisision that if any new entrant opened then the existing pharmacy would loose large volumes of repeat business - why? Is there service so shockingly awful that their patients are desperate for an alternative?

As for Ms Sutherland's linking of low morale to Cat M - its just plain laughable. why wasn't morale sky high then when significant levels of excess profits were being made. Sue Shapre at the PSNC conference explained that in 06-07 there was an at least an extra £500m in profits.

As a profession we are doomed unless we modernise, be honest with our income streams and allow innovation.