Welcome to this special recap of Your Pharmacy Career podcast, proudly produced by Raven’s Recruitment - Australia’s experts in pharmacy career and locum services for over 30 years.
It’s late in the year, the pharmacy is flat out, and “safety net season” is doing what it always does: pushing already-stretched teams to their limits. In this final episode of Your Pharmacy Career Podcast for the year, host Krysti-Lee Patterson sits down with Heidi Dariz, General Manager of Raven’s Recruitment, to unpack what locum pharmacy really looks like — beyond the stereotype of “just filling a gap”.
Episode Summary
Together, they walk through what a locum pharmacist is (including a quick detour into the Latin origins oflocum tenens), why locum work has grown significantly over the past two decades, and what motivates pharmacists to choose this pathway. Heidi points to flexibility as the headline benefit, but also highlights the real-world upsides: higher rates compared to permanent roles, travel opportunities (particularly in rural Australia), and the sheer variety of clinical and workplace experiences.
The conversation becomes especially practical when they explore how to actually get started. Heidi outlines the basics: ensuring accreditations are current (professional indemnity insurance, vaccination credentials, and sometimes checks like police or working-with-children depending on setting), building a clear and targeted “locum-ready” CV, and being upfront about comfort levels and skill sets — from dispensing systems through to whether someone is confident as a sole pharmacist.
A major segment of the episode demystifies the “getting paid” side of locuming. Heidi explains the difference between working through labour hire (where the agency employs and payrolls the pharmacist) versus working as an independent contractor (where an ABN is required and GST may apply). Krysti adds a helpful real-world perspective on invoices, the GST threshold, and how superannuation still applies even when someone is contracting — a common area of confusion for both pharmacists and pharmacy owners.
Finally, the episode moves into what makes a great locum: adaptability, reliability, communication, confidence with systems, and the ability to work with minimal supervision. Krysti shares one of her biggest personal lessons — that even when a locum spots inefficiencies, the smartest approach is usually to “go with the flow” unless specifically asked for improvement suggestions. Heidi reinforces that sentiment and encourages locums to advocate for clear expectations, strong handovers, and professional boundaries, especially when something feels unsafe or mismatched with what was agreed.
Overall, it’s a grounded, encouraging guide to locum pharmacy as a legitimate career pathway — whether someone wants to locum for a season, use it as a stepping stone to management or ownership, or build an entire lifestyle around it.
Key Takeaways from the Episode
Locum pharmacy is more than “gap filling”. Roles can range from single shifts to covering staffing gaps for months, depending on the situation.
Locum work is increasing. Heidi notes a clear shift over the years, with locum work now forming a much larger share of the workforce mix than it did two decades ago — and a noticeable jump post-COVID.
Flexibility is the biggest driver — but not the only one. Higher pay rates, paid travel/accommodation for rural roles, and variety of workplaces and clinical exposure all contribute.
Start with “locum readiness”. Keep key accreditations up to date, and create a locum-specific CV that includes availability, willingness to travel, software experience, and comfort level (e.g., sole pharmacist shifts).
Using an agency can reduce admin and risk. Agencies can handle compliance checks, onboarding, travel logistics, pay negotiations, role briefings, and payroll — and help protect locums from late payment issues.
Rural and emergency placements are hardest to fill. Seasonal trends matter too: roles in Tasmania/Victoria can fill faster in summer, and Queensland/NT in winter, while “opposite season” placements can be more challenging.
ABN: it depends. Through labour hire, a locum typically won’t need an ABN. As an independent contractor, an ABN is required and GST may apply.
Superannuation still applies. Whether a pharmacist is an employee or contractor, super can still be required under ATO rules — a key point owners and locums often misunderstand.
Adaptability is the core locum skill. Being able to walk into a new environment and operate safely and confidently matters as much as clinical knowledge.
Professional diplomacy matters. Locums should resist the urge to “fix everything” and instead work with the existing team’s flow — offering suggestions only when invited or via appropriate feedback channels.
Safety isn’t negotiable. A proper handover, clarity on SOPs and incident processes, and early escalation if something feels unsafe are essential.
Our Partners & Supporters
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)
Proudly brought to you by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. The PSA is committed to empowering pharmacists through advocacy, innovation, and industry-leading professional development. To become a member or learn more about how the PSA can support your career, visit www.psa.org.au.
Pharmacy Daily
Pharmacy Daily is a proud supporter of Your Pharmacy Career Podcast. If you're in the pharmacy world, it's a great resource to stay up to date with the latest industry news. To subscribe, just head to pharmacydaily.com.au to get the newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
How to Listen
📩 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help others discover these valuable career insights!
Full Episode Transcript
Speaker 3 (00:01)
Welcome to Your Pharmacy Career Podcast, proudly produced by Raven’s Recruitment, the experts in pharmacy career and locum services for over 30 years. Every episode is your gateway to new opportunities in the pharmacy profession. From expert advice to inspiring success stories, we're here to spark ideas, guide your career and help you achieve your goals. Stay tuned. The next step in your pharmacy journey starts here.
Speaker 2 (00:26)
Hi everyone and welcome back. I'm Krysti-Lee Patterson and you're listening to the final episode of Your Pharmacy Career Podcast for the Year. Everyone in the pharmacy world knows that this time of year, also known as safety net season for us, is one of the busiest times of the year and quite often staffing can be difficult. Therefore, many pharmacies rely on locum pharmacists for extra support. But being a locum pharmacist is so much more than just being a gap.
Today we're talking about how to become a locum pharmacist and what a locum career pathway really looks like. I'll be sharing some of my own experiences as working as a locum, why I chose it and some of the lessons I've learned along the way. And to help us dive even deeper, I'm joined by the locum expert, Heidi Dariz, the general manager of Raven’s Recruitment. Heidi, thank you so much for joining the show.
Speaker 1 (01:14)
Thank you for having me, Krysti.
Speaker 2 (01:16)
Now Heidi, before we get into the whole locum pharmacist topic, can you just share a little bit about your background and your journey into recruitment?
Speaker 1 (01:25)
So when I left high school, I started for bachelor's psychology. After I've completed that, I moved into working in HR and I worked for a recruitment firm in Sydney and then on the Gold Coast that basically specialized in generous recruitment. And I did a few temping roles through that agency, basically fell in love with recruitment, but wanted something a little bit more specialist. So then in 2003, I saw the job with Raven’s working with pharmacists in recruitment.
That sounds fantastic. So hopped on board, started as their locum consultant actually in 2003 and then in 2005 took over the management of the business.
Speaker 2 (02:05)
that's so interesting that you started with a psychology background, but I think that actually makes sense moving into recruitment because it's all about people, right? And behaviour.
Speaker 1 (02:14)
That's exactly right. Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:16)
So what does your role at Raven's Recruitment involve?
Speaker 1 (02:20)
The main
role is to support and train our team of consultants. So we have three consultants that look after locum positions and we have three consultants that look after all our permanent work. So that's my main focus. Then I do some business development. So I attend pharmacy conferences to engage pharmacy owners and candidates looking for work. We go to student events to interact with the students, teach them about all career options within pharmacy and how they can.
you know, start off their career journey. And then finally, I do some consultancy work myself. So when I've got staff on leave, I hop in to either the locum desk or a permanent desk and I'll actually cover that desk while they're on leave.
Speaker 2 (03:01)
Okay, great. I think that's a little bit of an overview as to what you do in the business, but then also the other people that you have at Raven's Recruitments and how they help. But I thought I would ask ChatGPT, what is a local pharmacist to actually start with our conversation? And I thought this was really interesting.
never actually knew what the locum meant. And so this is what ChatGPT says. Now locum pharmacist is a licensed pharmacist who works on a temporary or contract basis. And the word locum comes from the Latin phrase locum tenens, meaning one holding a place. So essentially someone who temporary fills in for another professional. So a little bit of fun trivia if anyone is listening. But Heidi, what's your, I guess, understanding of what a locum pharmacist?
Peace.
Speaker 1 (03:51)
Well, I think actually ChatGPT in this instance got it quite right. it's basically, yeah. So when we refer to locum pharmacist, we're talking about someone who's going to temporarily fill in for another pharmacist. So they could be away due to leave illness, or it could be a staffing gap. And whilst you're trying to sort out permanent staff, anything up to three to six months, if you're covering, you know, until a permit pharmacist can be found, or if you, you know, covering for annual leave can be a couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (04:19)
Yeah, I think this hub ChatGPT got it right. So it's getting much better this AI. So it's interesting that you mentioned that there's kind of longer roles for locums. I know when I first started locum in my understanding of it was more just like single day shift here and there. And it wasn't really like you couldn't do it as a career. That was my kind of understanding, but I don't know what the trends are now, Hardy, but you will.
be completely across it all because this is what you do every day. But are you seeing more pharmacists opt for locum work or do you have bit of understanding as to why people choose locum work in the first place?
Speaker 1 (04:56)
I think probably the main reason would be flexibility. Being able to work when and where you choose and fit that work around study commitments, travel, family commitments, financial incentives too. So the rates are higher for local work than permanent work generally. And also you get paid to travel. If you do rural roles, you can travel Australia or your accommodation and travel is covered. And lastly, probably would be the variety and diversity. You get to see a lot of.
different pharmacies, experience a range of different environments, different people that you're interacting with. So that would be a big one too.
Speaker 2 (05:34)
Do you think that the locum work has been increasing? So you've been with Raven's Recruitment for just a little while now, but have you seen that it's increasing or just staying the same?
Speaker 1 (05:46)
Yep, definitely. So in your polite way of saying it, I have been with Raven’s now for 23 years. So definitely when I started, it was probably that search extent, low-cum-work and then we did 70 % permanent. Now it's probably more likely 50-50. So definitely increasing. And I think that's just due to people wanting that greater flexibility now in their lives and low-cum-work provides that.
Speaker 2 (06:08)
Do you think that it's mainly post COVID that you saw majority of the uprising, I guess, or has it just been a steady uplift over?
Speaker 1 (06:17)
I think post COVID definitely we saw a tick. I think it had been slowly increasing up until that point. And then after COVID we had a huge jump and that's just been steadily increasing too.
Speaker 2 (06:28)
Yeah, because I just did wonder about, yeah, post COVID, I think there a lot of people, it was quite an intense period of time for pharmacy, well, for everyone really. ⁓ So Heidi, where does a pharmacist begin if they want to become a locum?
Speaker 1 (06:42)
So
the first step is to ensure that all your accreditations are up to date. Your professional indemnity insurance, your vaccination credentials are current. In some situations where you're working, particularly within hospital, if you do work within hospitalist pharmacy, you may need a police check or a working with children check. So make sure that's all up to date. Secondly, you want to build a concise CV that highlights all the information, including your employment history, your dispensing system.
proficiencies, any qualifications or extra training you've done. And then you want to have in the beginning of your CV, basically a paragraph about your locum readiness. So your availability, your willingness to travel, comfort with soul charged environments if you work with that. So that's probably where you would begin.
Speaker 2 (07:28)
Yeah, I think the way that you mentioned around the having your CV ready. And I think the locum CV is a little bit different to, would say a regular CV in making sure that you're putting those in like your availabilities or expectations, extra trainings. And when I first became a locum and I reached out to Raven’s and.
I really loved the way that your consultants asked so many questions about your level of comfort of things. And that's something that I didn't even really consider. And even now when I've worked in as a pharmacy manager and looking at locums is understanding things like, yeah, are they vaccine trained? Are they able to hand out the morning after pill? Are they comfortable doing yes, cell pharmacists shifts?
those types of things. I think that's really good to, if you're thinking about local work, yeah, having a good think about what your level of comfort is and having that chat to the consultant.
Speaker 1 (08:26)
Yeah, exactly. And that's what we do. You know, you mentioned when you signed up with us, we go through quite an extensive interview process. It's done over the phone or via Zoom, but we find out all that information. So we've got all that information. So when we put you out on assignment, we don't have to ask it every single time. We know that. So yeah, it's important, as I said, for us in putting you in an environment where you are going to feel comfortable and you're not going to feel out of your depth.
Speaker 2 (08:52)
that and also just helps the pharmacy as well, making sure that they've got someone that is able to, I guess, do the things that their customers expect. if someone is looking at becoming a locum, they've created their locum CV, where is the next step? So where do people find locum positions? and I guess in that answer, what is the role of a
Speaker 1 (09:01)
Right, yes.
Speaker 2 (09:17)
recruitment agency as opposed to just knocking on the door of pharmacies and say, I'm a locum.
Speaker 1 (09:23)
Yeah. we'll obviously us being in the business we're in, we would suggest that any new logan registers with a rep agency. Basically, they're going to support you by not only provide access to those roles so you don't have to knock on doors, but we also match your credentials, your availability. We do onboarding. We make sure all your certificates and everything is compliant. We also manage travel and accommodation for you if you're going rurally.
We negotiate the pay rate on your behalf and we brief you, we brief the locum on what the workplace expectations are, what the dispensing systems are, you know, what you're going to be expected to do in a standard day. And then on top of that, obviously we've, we provide ongoing communication throughout your locum stint payroll support. And then I think lastly, we can provide some market insights. So if you're not sort of sure about a pay rate or about a condition.
we can provide, we deal with thousands of employees and pharmacies, so we can provide that insight so that you know that you're making the best decision. ⁓
Speaker 2 (10:27)
Absolutely.
And I think that's a really good place to start. Anyone who's in string doing locuming is to register with an organisation such as yourselves. I know that I founded it. Yeah, pretty helpful in just understanding what do you even charge. And I know on your website, you've also got the market report that also lists how many roles are sort of available, what are the fees sort of associated with it. And so that can also help pharmacists have a bit of an understanding on.
kind of what is the going rate for low-income roles.
Speaker 1 (10:59)
Definitely, definitely.
Speaker 2 (11:01)
And so with your experience, what are some of the most current high demand regions?
Speaker 1 (11:07)
Generally, rural is always going to be harder to fill the Metro, just because you don't have anyone in the area, so you've got to get someone to fly them in or get them to travel there. So I would say definitely anywhere rural is harder to fill. In terms of seasonal trends, we tend to find we've got quite a few locums on our book that do travel Australia throughout the year. And obviously, in summer, they like to be down in Victoria, Tasmania.
In winter, they like to be up in Queensland, Northern Territory. So we do find that those roles do fill out quicker and it is always harder to get someone to go to North Queensland in the middle of summer or Tasmania in the middle of winter. So that's a seasonal thing we see. In terms of emergency roles, probably the most difficult, we need to find someone that's willing to travel very, very short notice. And on top of that, you've often got difficulties in travel if we're getting someone to quite remote area.
quickly. It could be one fight a week, so we've got to juggle and try and get them there as best we can.
Speaker 2 (12:06)
can definitely test the heat of North Queensland in summer. I've done quite a few locums in North Queensland, but I actually really enjoy them because something that's also really interesting that I didn't consider is that even the types of conditions that you see in different areas of Australia is very different. And so when I did my locum stints in North Queensland, I saw a lot more like skin infections, fungal conditions, escapes.
these ear infections, like from that sort of tropical climate, which is very different to some of the things that you would see, I guess, down south in New South Wales. So that's also another benefit, I think, as well, being able to have that diversity from a clinical perspective, as well as a, yeah, just a people perspective. But then in North Queensland as well, I find that in some of those more, I guess, more remote places, the pay is much better.
So if you are willing to go out there, they certainly do look after you. And some of the pharmacies will even like give you a car or a hire car so you can get around, which is great. So not having to walk in 35 or 40 degree.
Speaker 1 (13:17)
Yeah, no, no.
Speaker 2 (13:20)
But the other thing that I like by using an agency such as Raven’s as opposed to doing it yourself is I guess the protection of pay. So like I do locums both through Raven’s, I've also done it privately as well as I know some pharmacy owners that, and we just negotiate our own rates and I invoice them that way. But I guess it is a risk that if you are working for someone that you haven't worked before and you don't know their history is that.
Maybe you might not get paid on time. Most of the time you would, but I guess it just helps protect you. And so one of the things that I really liked by utilizing Raven’s was that I didn't have to worry about payroll and invoicing. just had to put in my time sheets and I knew that in a fortnight's time I was going to get paid.
Speaker 1 (14:04)
And that's exactly right, Krysti. And that's why we introduced our payrolling system. When I first started, we didn't have a payroll system, but we introduced it probably just over 10 years ago. And that was one of the reasons to make sure that the locums would get paid on time. They wouldn't have to worry about, you know, necessarily submitting invoices or, you know, if they were an employee locum, then the pharmacist would need to directly employ them. So they'd have to, every time they'd have to provide their tax file number.
all that drama. So that's why we introduced our payroll system.
Speaker 2 (14:37)
Thinking about that payroll system and how to invoice and charge for your locum roles. Does a pharmacist need to have an ABN? So I've heard, I guess, flaws and against for both. Sometimes you do need one, sometimes you don't. And then the different types of ABNs. So yeah, maybe if you could just touch on whether or not we need one.
Speaker 1 (14:58)
necessarily. So basically if you work through our agency, we're a labor hire. So how that works is that we engage the locum and then the pharmacy pays us for the service. So you only need to put in your details once you don't need an ABN. You give us this tax soil information, you super, and we handle everything. You get paid on a fortnightly basis for any work you've done.
Speaker 3 (14:58)
Not
Speaker 1 (15:25)
And you don't need to worry about GST or anything like that. The other way to go is to become an independent contractor. Now for that, you will need an ABN and basically it's like you're running your own business. So you'll have an ABN. You'll probably need to charge GST because pharmacy local work is viewed as a taxable supply of labor. The contractor, so you as the contractor at that point will invoice the pharmacy. Or if you are working for us at Raven’s, you can invoice us and then.
either the pharmacy or us, do we are required to still make that superannuation contribution on behalf because the arrangement does meet superannuation guarantee contractor rules. As I said, you will need to charge DST because it does attract GST under the contracting arrangements. And yeah, basically, confused myself here. think, does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (16:16)
So I'm going to it to you.
No, I think it does make sense. So I'll also recap as well from my understanding and what you've said. essentially yes and no to the ABN question. So if you're utilizing what's called a labor hire, which is Raven's Recruitment, you're essentially an employee of Raven’s. So then the pharmacy pays Raven’s and you pay the pharmacist. And in that case, they don't need to worry about
having an ABN, they don't have to worry about paying super. They don't have to worry about GST. The other option is they can be an independent contractor. And then that means they would need to get an ABN. They can either get an ABN through being a sole trader and you don't have to pay any money to register as a sole trader.
Or there is another option, I guess you could set yourself up as a company, but that's a lot more expensive. And then you have to worry about reporting and auditing and all these types of things. And then insurances are very different with that as well. So I think that answers the ABN question. The other question that people ask quite commonly is, yeah, what do I do about the GST? And I think we've covered that. So essentially with the GST as well from a, I guess, a tax.
ATO perspective, if you expect to earn more than $75,000, that's when you legally have to charge for GST. But yeah, it is recommended that you probably should actually just charge for GST anyway, because of what you said. And then that way you're covered and you don't have to worry about trying to keep tabs on how much you're earning over the year. I would register for GST, it just makes things much more simple. ⁓
Speaker 1 (17:57)
That's his left right.
Speaker 2 (18:04)
Then the other question I get asked a lot, and I also was a bit confused about this myself when I started the locuming is the super component of it. What happens with super? So maybe if you could talk about from a labor hire perspective and then maybe as an independent contractor.
Speaker 1 (18:21)
So superannuation is required to be paid whether you work as an employee or whether you work as an independent contractor. So if you're working through Raven’s, we pay your super. If you're working for a pharmacy directly as, and they're your employer, they pay your super. And if you're an independent contractor, again, the pharmacy is required to pay super. I mentioned before that the independent.
contracting arrangements does meet the superannuation guarantee that is required to be paid.
Speaker 2 (18:57)
Yeah, that's exactly it. Cause I think there's sometimes a little bit of confusion where people don't understand. think, but if especially from an owner's perspective, but they're an independent contractor, I don't need to worry about paying their super. ⁓ that yeah, as you heard, if you are hardy says no, but it's actually an ATO, things. So they are still required to pay super. So for those pharmacists out there that are hired as a.
independent contractor. What I do with my own invoices is I've put the super amount as a separate line on the invoice and then actually list the bank details of your super. And so essentially the owner, whoever's paying that invoice, they'll pay your super directly into your fund as opposed to paying it to you. And then you have to do that. Okay. So that was a bit of a deep dive into a bit of accounting.
Speaker 1 (19:49)
you
Speaker 2 (19:51)
But I think getting those invoices and tax things correct will just save you a lot of hassle. And it'll stop you from having to, I guess, have a bit of a bill at the end of the year at tax time as well, if you're doing these things correctly.
Speaker 1 (20:07)
Pharmacy Daily is a proud supporter of your Pharmacy Career Podcast. If you're in the pharmacy world, it's a great resource to stay up to date with the latest industry news. To subscribe, just head to pharmacydaily.com.au to get the newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
the first step in becoming a locum. So make sure your insurance, your vaccination, accreditation, all that's up to date. When you accept an assignment, you want to clarify the shift details. You want to the dispensing system, scope of services, workflow, all of this you need to know before you actually start the assignment. Also, any travel or accommodation data, you want to make sure that your accommodation is sorted.
And you're going to be at the pharmacy in time. mean, your agency will be able to deal with all of that for you. You want to obviously stay in touch with your agency throughout the shift, throughout the locum assignment, with any payroll queries, any post shift feedback as well.
Speaker 2 (21:06)
Yeah, that's definitely some good tips. In my past experiences, I've had some really great experiences where it's been really, really well prepared. And then some others where you're literally turning up on the day and the staff will ask me, Oh, do you have a key? I'm like, no, don't. I thought you had a key, but that's okay. We'll uplift it to get a key quickly and open the pharmacy. But yeah, just little things like that. Just making sure if you're getting prepared so that on the day, just
reduces any unnecessary stress to be honest. So you're not racing around like a headless chicken.
Speaker 1 (21:41)
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (21:43)
So from your experience, what do you think makes it great? Locum pharmacists. Do you think anyone can be a local pharmacist or is there any kind of ways of working that will make being a pharmacist a bit easier?
Speaker 1 (21:57)
I do think anyone can be a locum pharmacist. think some people are going to enjoy that more and that will make all the difference. You need to be able to adapt quickly to a new environment. And that's the biggest key, I think. If you can do that, you're going to be okay. You know, some of the key things you want to look at, you want to be reliable, you want to be punctual, you want to be confident with, you know, your dispensing software, you know, have up to date clinical knowledge, also having that capacity to be able to work.
autonomously and I guess with minimal supervision is key as well. And communication, definitely being able to communicate clearly with people that you have not met before, customers you haven't met. That's also key as well.
Speaker 2 (22:41)
Yeah, advice. I definitely think that in my experience as working as a locum pharmacist, like every pharmacist has their own way of doing things. And I think sometimes it can be difficult if you're a locum where you come in and you think, ⁓ they could be doing this in a completely different way, or maybe this isn't as efficient or things like that. And my tip over the years, I used to offer up some of my helpful advice.
I thought it was helpful advice, but now unless I'm specifically asked by the team and they say, how do you think we can improve? you have any tips? Then I will offer some suggestions, but my biggest learning is probably just going with the flow and really working with the regular team members there. So the dispensary technicians, the retail manager or the pharmacy staff, it's their pharmacy. They're working their day in, day out. And they've got the.
confidence, the knowhow of how that pharmacy operates. So for me, I just go in and sort of say, look, okay, where would you like me? What are the priorities for today? And just going with the flow. And if there's little things that I think, ⁓ this is really annoying. did I do this? I just think, you know what, I'm only here for a day or maybe I'm only here for two weeks or three weeks. It's not really my place. That's probably my biggest.
tip for locans. Sometimes it can be a hard as pharmacist because we are sometimes can be set in our ways.
Speaker 1 (24:08)
Look, I would a hundred percent agree with that. It probably one of the most difficult things for a locum who does come in and does think, look, you know, this could be done so much better. I could do this. I could do that. It's really a case of, as you said, stepping back, just going with the flow, listening to the support team there as to how they generally do things and going up along with what that is. Obviously you're to pick up things that you think, ⁓ this could be done better. ⁓ but you know, that's something that you will learn and then, you know, in
future years, if you possibly have your own pharmacy that you can inform at that stage.
Speaker 2 (24:42)
Absolutely. That's right. I think the other good thing too is when working with an agency is like you always ask for feedback. so that's always a good way and other local agencies do that as well. So you can always provide that feedback that way. And then that way it will go directly to the owner or manager of that pharmacy. Because I find sometimes you might be thinking you're being really helpful, but that might make.
the team sort of feel like, ⁓ we're not doing a great job. And then that can sometimes cause a bit of conflict sometimes in locum.
Speaker 1 (25:16)
That's exactly right. Yes. ⁓
Speaker 2 (25:18)
So what about for pharmacists that are doing a locum shift and like the fact that it is an unfamiliar environment, I guess, how do they protect themselves and like some of the, I guess, safety tips or things. And not that I think anything bad is going to happen, but just what are the things that you need to be mindful of when you are going to a new area where you don't know anything about it. You don't know anything about the local area or the people. What are some things that you need to be mindful of? Sure.
Speaker 1 (25:46)
Again, keep saying this in using an agency, all that will be communicated to you beforehand. So it'll be, you'll get information on the store, you get information on the area. But I think the most important thing is you want to hand over at the start of your shift. So you start at the local assignment, there will always be someone there to do a handover, even in emergency situations. When we put pharmacists in very remote areas, there's always someone there that will do a handover. You need someone that's going to confirm.
Emergency contacts, your standard operating procedures. You want to orientate yourself to like the dispensary layout, any incident reporting processes. And then if there are any issues, you want to communicate that early. We always say to our locum, if you arrive and anything is not as you expected, call us immediately and keep us advised. If anything appears unsafe, you need to document.
and let us know straight away. And that way then we can avoid any issues down the track.
Speaker 2 (26:45)
Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's another big benefit of utilizing an agency as well. You've got that, got that support there. And if you're not using an agency, just make sure you get that information upfront. So asking exactly. Yeah. Who's my main kind of contact on the day and things like that. Where do I get the key? Yes, that's probably the number one thing. Where do I get the keys from? So for me, I've been.
Speaker 1 (27:03)
spring. Yes!
Speaker 2 (27:13)
I've locum, guess now for about five years and I'm turned to locum work because I was starting businesses. I wanted to do something different and I wanted some flexibility, I guess, to make some good money, but then also be able to still keep by hand in that clinical practice. And what I was doing by creating educational content and working with groups and pharma companies is I wanted to.
see different types of pharmacies to see how people interact and learn and do things. So for me, it just kind of made sense to locoming in that sense. Can locoming be a, I guess, a long-term career option for people? Like, is that something that I guess is stable or is there any risks for being a long-term locom?
Speaker 1 (28:05)
I
don't think so. think it can definitely be a long-term career. I don't think they're probably in the minority if you were just to locum as a pharmacist, you know, for the rest of your life. That is fairly rare, but maybe we have about 10 % on our books that do do that. The main reason is obviously you're locum for flexibility. So you can fit it.
in amongst, you know, if you're studying, if, you mentioned before, you were creating learning context, but you still wanted to keep your hand in. So I think that's key. It's also key. think if you're moving into like down the track, if you'd be looking at, you know, ownership or management or anything like that, working in all these different environments will build confidence. That's the main thing. And your ability to problem solve resilience, all those things are going to be key. If you're looking for management or ownership down the track, you also.
develop quite broad professional networks. So they will often lead to mentoring or partnership opportunities down the track. I think it's also something that people will do at different stages of their life. early career is always a great option. So when you don't have any, it's like husbands or kids, it's up, down.
Speaker 2 (29:11)
you
Speaker 1 (29:12)
You can go out
and you can work anywhere. You've got that flexibility. And then obviously, you know, people look after ownership or after they've, you know, when they're looking to semi-retire, it can be a great option to still, you know, do a little bit of work, but not be committed to that, you know, everyday full-time work. You can just work for a couple of months and then take a couple of months off to travel.
One thing we're also seeing is a newer trend. We've got a couple of families on our books. So they're traveling with their kids. They're traveling around Australia. They've got the caravan and they're just picking up work on the way. you know, it can suit sort of anyone, I think.
Speaker 2 (29:45)
Yeah, definitely. And I think what you said around the different life stages as well, it can be really quite helpful. And whether are you wanting to be locum and say all different parts of Australia, like some of the families in a caravan, that sounds quite cool. And, but then also I know there's locums that working just there, I guess, local area for all of the pharmacies in that town. And that suits them really well because yeah, maybe they have families or they don't want to travel overly too far away.
Speaker 1 (30:15)
Yeah. And that's exactly right. So we offer that too. We work with a lot of owners and different groups in Metro areas and we have people that I guess are in our locum pool, their preferred locums. So, you know, they will be requested to cover generally sick leave or sometimes annual leave. And then they can sort of, you know, work that around their family commitments, but they stay in the local areas that have to travel too far. And then they can have time off, you know, for other commitments.
Speaker 2 (30:43)
Yeah, absolutely. think too with locaming, even when you see a, an advertised position or you're speaking to someone about a locum role and you might think, it's, would love to do that back and only do like a short period of that. Don't be afraid to reach out to the agency or to whoever's advertising and say, Hey, I'm actually available for XYZ. I know I've done that a few times and that can sometimes.
work as well. So don't be afraid to do that. There's been situations where I've said, yeah, I can do two weeks of that four week stint. And then someone else was able to do the other two weeks. And so it worked out really well.
Speaker 1 (31:23)
That's easy to do, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:25)
So there is still that flexibility as well. So if you see something and you think it could be a good option and no harm in asking, sometimes it'll be no, but hey, at least you've actually asked and found that out. So I know I've gotten some really great locum roles by doing that and doing a couple of weeks stints as opposed to a couple of months. guess the other thing that you mentioned about locum using it as a stepping stone to ownership.
or management, I think that's a really, really good idea. And I know for me over the 10 years I've been a pharmacist and I've worked in many different places and you pick up some really great things and then you also pick up some things of, Ooh, I don't think I would do it that way. But those learning experiences are really good. And also by being a locum, cause you're not there for a really long period of time usually.
You have to form these relationships with the staff and the customers in such a short period of time. So it does put you out of your comfort zone, but then by gaining those skills, you'll then able to put that into practice. Then when you start a new job or things like that. And now when I speak to young pharmacists that say, I really want to be a locum, but some people have told me that I need to get some more experience under my belt before I do that. And like, what does that actually mean?
So I actually feel like you can have a lot of experience for just being one year out as a reticent pharmacist, because maybe you've just been exposed to a lot of different things. And so you are ready to be a locum. But then there's been pharmacists that worked in the same place for 15 years. And I wouldn't think that they are actually as experienced as that one year pharmacist sometimes.
Speaker 1 (33:13)
Yeah, I would agree with that a hundred percent. There is no set level of experience you need to become a locum. Personally, I would think maybe at least about six months as a registered pharmacist, just so you can sort of find your feet a little bit.
Apart from that, as you said, you'd learn on the go, as long as you can have that adaptability and you're willing to step outside your comfort zone and you don't learn, listen, observe any stage of your career, you're going to be able to work as a locum pharmacist. don't sort of think, I need to be a permanent, I need to work as a manager for five years before I can go on locum. Definitely not.
Speaker 2 (33:50)
Yeah. And there's looking roles where you might even be the second or third pharmacist. So maybe looking at those roles first as opposed to you going out in the middle of a rural town with no body, no support.
Speaker 1 (34:02)
We would do that as an agency if you registered with me and said, look, you know, I'm two months out. I'm not going to put you in a remote town as the sole pharmacist with no support. You know, I'm going to be aware of that. We're going to start you in some roles where I know they're great employees, great support teams. You're going to feel comfortable, build up that experience. And then I'm going to put you in the remote area.
Speaker 2 (34:26)
Exactly, that's it. And those remote areas, have to say that definitely some of my most favourite places to go and you get to know the customers quite quickly and also just seeing different parts of the world, like Australia is such a huge country. I know I talk about North Queensland a lot. They always have locum shifts, but please, I just think every pharmacist needs to do a stint either in WA or Northern Territory or Queensland because...
just the way of life is so different. if you think about like the tropics, like Cairns and Mackay, but then three hours inland from that, you've got mining towns and very different demographics and things like that. And you just see, yeah, something.
Speaker 1 (35:10)
Things that you would never ever see in downtown Sydney or Melbourne basically.
Speaker 2 (35:15)
Yeah,
exactly. That's right. I guess now I want to chat about like, I guess maybe best practice for being a locum. And I guess also too, what are maybe some of the red flags that locums need to look out for, whether prior to accepting a locum shift or even, like you said, maybe if you come into a pharmacy and realize it's not quite what you expected.
can locums do in that sense.
Speaker 1 (35:46)
I think probably some of the red flags you want to look out for, the first one would be poor communication. So if you're not using an agency, you are going directly. If you finding that the employer is not communicating with you, you're getting delayed responses, incomplete details on dispensing systems or scope of services, that can be a real red flag. Also, if they're offering below market rates.
And there's no transparency, you know, you're sort of saying, look, where's the travel coming? You know, where is that covered from? And they're not giving you honest answers. That to me would be a red flag as well. And these are things we look for as a client when we're working with a new pharmacy that contacts us. We get all that information. If I find a client is not forthcoming with this information that I need, so I need dispensing software, need this, I need levels, need, if they're sort of being very offhand, we won't take the assignment. So.
To me, they're the BAME Red Flax.
Speaker 2 (36:45)
Yeah, no, that makes sense. So I think we've covered majority of the key things I wanted to talk about in this session today. Is there anything that you think would be helpful for local pharmacists to know or people wanting to become a local pharmacist that we haven't covered in our discussion yet?
Speaker 1 (37:03)
Don't be afraid, think, as a locum pharmacist to be able to stand up for yourself professionally. You know, I think locums sometimes think when they take on assignments, you know, they just have to go along with everything. Don't be afraid to, you know, request clear expectations about what you're looking for as well. And then provide after the assignment, provide feedback. We ask every locum who's done an assignment through us to provide clear feedback. So we know.
You know, that what the information we're getting from the client is actually what the environment's like.
Speaker 2 (37:36)
Yeah. Great, great tips. So I've got a couple of quick fun questions to ask before we wrap up. And the first question is what's the one thing pharmacists should stop doing when applying for locum roles? Probably.
Speaker 1 (37:52)
Not being prepared, I think in terms of knowing, telling your availability and your skillset and your location. Often when we get locum jobs in, you know, some more long-term ones you'll have time, but some will be very quick. So it'd be very quick turnaround. So if we don't have that clear and specific information from you that we can assess your suitability immediately, it's going to waste time. So providing that targeted information upfront, I think is key.
Speaker 2 (38:20)
I think that also answers the second question I was going to ask him that was what's the one thing they should start doing. So I think that's being prepared.
Speaker 1 (38:28)
That is exactly right. And the other thing I would obviously say is register with an agency like Raven’s. So it's going to help you and tailor what you're looking for.
Speaker 2 (38:34)
Absolutely.
Now the last question I want to ask you is what is the most common question you get asked about locuming
Speaker 1 (38:48)
about pay rates, it would always be about pay rates. So it'd be like, you know, either if someone's coming to us, they've been offered a locum shift and they've been offered them out. Do you think that's within market rates? You know, what should I charge as a locum? Can I negotiate? So those sorts of questions. The other probably most common questions is when people are just starting out, what's it like to move into different environments?
different things. How quickly do I need to adapt? Like is it within the first five minutes I'm left by myself and I'm having to run the whole pharmacy? So those, know, just what the expectations would be, I think.
Speaker 2 (39:27)
And I think with the question around pay rates, yes, obviously that's always top of mind. But as I mentioned earlier on the Raven’s website, there is the market report, which does list not just locum rows, but also I have home and our full-time and part-time roles as well. that's true. What I sometimes do is ⁓ look at the pharmacy industry award, like that's the minimum. And then I have a look at that report from Raven’s to see, okay, where does it sit?
Speaker 1 (39:52)
And that is, and we update that annually as well. So all the information in there is updated. So you're looking at current information.
Speaker 2 (39:59)
Perfect. Well, thank you so much, Heidi, for joining me today and sharing these really practical and thoughtful insights into the world of locum pharmacy. I think your experience and understanding of the pharmacy workforce is really invaluable. yeah, my locum, not even just my locum work, but even in sourcing full-time and part-time roles as well. Raven’s has always been very helpful with me.
So don't be afraid to reach out to Heidi or the team at Raven’s. And to everyone that's listening, thank you so much for joining us for the final episode of Your Pharmacy Career Podcast. I can't believe this is the last one of the year. And next, you will be our 12th season of the Your Pharmacy Career Podcast, which is amazing. So in our first episode, we'll be joined by Dr. Fei Sim. She's the president
of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Fei will be reflecting on the year that was and sharing what's next for her as she transitions out of the presidency. And it is going to be a conversation that you don't want to miss. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you all next year.
Speaker 1 (41:11)
Thanks for tuning in to Your Pharmacy Career Podcast, proudly sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. The PSA is committed to empowering pharmacists through advocacy, innovation and industry-leading professional development. To become a member or learn more about how the PSA can support your career, visit www.psa.org.au. Don't forget to subscribe, share this podcast with your colleagues and join us next time as we continue to explore your pharmacy career journey.
Final Thoughts
This episode does a great job of normalising locum pharmacy as a credible, strategic career choice — not a fallback. For pharmacists who value flexibility, want to broaden their skills quickly, or are exploring where they fit in the profession, locuming can be a powerful way to learn fast, earn well, and build confidence in diverse settings.
It also reinforces a message that’s easy to overlook: the “best” locums aren’t necessarily the most opinionated or the most experienced — they’re the ones who communicate well, adapt quickly, and operate professionally within someone else’s system without creating friction. That mindset is what turns locum work from a stressful scramble into a genuinely rewarding way to practise.
And for pharmacists considering how to start, the practical takeaway is simple: get your paperwork tight, get your CV locum-ready, be honest about your comfort zone, and lean on the right support structures (including agencies like Raven’s Recruitment) so you can focus on delivering great care instead of chasing invoices and logistics.
If locuming could give you more freedom and make you a stronger pharmacist, what’s the first step you’d take to explore it?
