I have been a regular locum for Tesco since I qualified around two years ago. I have been fortunate to have worked in many different stores around the country, including block bookings in at least four stores. In these pharmacies, I have on many occasions simulated a manager, working five to six days a week for the whole month.

We are being asked to do more and more: an increased number of medicines use reviews and new medicine service [consultations] as well as flu jabs, while trying to raise dispensing numbers.

Our reward for doing all this is a cut in pay. We can't allow this to go on. Things must be taken one step at a time and, although changing pharmacy policy may take time, trying to get Tesco to reverse its cuts is something we can try to change in the short term.

Once we have the attention of big companies, then we can try to create a bigger change. We cannot go on trying to do more and expect pharmacists to deal with it single-handedly. This will lead to errors – this cannot be allowed to happen as ultimately it can cause major patient harm.

Although I have completed one shift at an independent pharmacy, I will be using the boycott for a little break. As I usually locum regularly for Tesco, I do not have many other bookings.

I envisage that I will lose money because of the boycott. But the objective is not to make sure we are richer, it is to ensure we are being heard. I am willing to lose out in the short term, for a long-term gain – whether it’s an ease in workload or a change in locum rates.

I have done minor calculations to see how the Tesco rate change may affect my situation. Last month alone, I lost around £366. I completed a month’s worth of shifts at Tesco which were pre-booked long before the cuts were brought in. Over a year, I stand to lose out on around £1,680 – this would increase to a £2,220 if I didn’t complete any services.

Pharmacists have trained for five years to get where they are and have a very difficult job, so are entitled to protest. It is through groups such as One Voice Pharmacy that we have a platform to make major change.

We are not trying to cause harm to patients. We just want the hierarchy to understand locums should be valued and that we cannot allow pharmacy to die a slow death.

Something must be done.