Reports that the supermarket chain is threatening locums with cancelled shifts if they do not agree to lower pay show the nasty side of the rate debate, says C+D editor Beth Kennedy

Locums with existing bookings and those booking new shifts at Tesco will be paid one of four new set rates – capped at £36 per hour for emergency cover – from mid-July, C+D understands.

Having more time and “improved staffing levels” would encourage pharmacy teams to report more patient safety incidents, a Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group (CPPSG) survey has revealed.

Asda has explained its policy on pharmacists self-checking prescriptions, following a tweet suggesting it may be a requirement in some branches.

Community pharmacy contractors are considering their options following reports of a minority of locums’ “tactics” to obtain higher rates, they have told C+D.

Data from the C+D Salary Survey 2021 showed that female pharmacists were being paid less on average than their male colleagues. What can be done to level the playing field?

It would be “inappropriate” for the pharmacy regulator to “play a part in setting or influencing locum rates”, the GPhC has told C+D. 

Male community pharmacist branch managers earned on average £4,000 more than their female counterparts in 2021, according to data from the C+D Salary Survey.

Locum pharmacist pay rates saw a steep rise between 2020 and 2021. But with spiking stress and workloads, are they being paid enough?

Use C+D’s map to compare locum pharmacists’ average hourly rate, ability to find work and rate dissatisfaction levels in regions across Great Britain. 

The average locum rate has seen a steep rise in the past year, making it the highest since C+D launched its annual Salary Survey in 2008, data from the 2021 survey has revealed.

Compare the pay rises, bonuses, stress levels, work-life balance and workload of pharmacists and branch managers at Boots, Lloydspharmacy and Well Pharmacy in 2021 on the chart below.