Why Work as a Locum?
Working as a pharmacy locum can offer flexibility and experience and there are plenty of opportunities. There are several reasons for this. Community Pharmacies open for increasingly longer hours, and this means that two or more pharmacists are now required to cover the working week. In hospital pharmacy, too, the nine-to-five day has become a thing of the past, again with implications for staffing arrangements.
An increasing number of pharmacists are getting involved in providing additional pharmacy services (eg, medication review, domiciliary visits, services to nursing homes, etc), and in continuing professional development activities, all of which may take them away from the pharmacy or else create a need for an additional pharmacist.
Qualifications
To be a locum in Australia, pharmacists must be registered with the AHPRA. Information for overseas pharmacists wishing to register in Australia can be found on the Australian Pharmacy Council website.