Locum pharmacy in Dublin

amjon.

Would like to try to do a month or two of locums in Dublin. Does anyone know what the chances of getting bookings are like? I'm not too bothered about the area or late nights/Sundays ect... What is the going rate at the moment?

frodi

If you don't have any contacts then things are pretty bleak ATM. Register with some of the agencies (sorry don't have details to hand) and hope. Rates are thro the floor due to over supply and pharmacies not being able to afford it. Also many prefer to use agencies as Revenue are not looking favourably on self employed locums. Try to get your name on some of the chains lists and be ready for the crappy hours to begin.

angeldelight

When would you be starting? If it would be before Sept you could probably work every day between now and the end of Sept. Rates have gone down a lot but due to the huge demand this summer they have crept up again by 5/10 euro an hour for bookings being made now. I'm a locum working in Dublin/Kildare/Meath and I get approx 3 emails/5 texts and 3 phone calls a day since June looking for summer locums but am booked for 6/7 days a week right up til October.

If you were doing it after then it may not be great. I'm lucky in that I'm only working as a locum for seven months but I've been asked back on a semi-regular basis to a number of places and I work at least 6 days a week every week. In contrast some of my friends were only getting maybe 3 days a week work before the summer.

Agencies worth a look are Locum Finders (used to be Locum Locators), Pharmaconex, TTM and IPOS Locums

upforit101

angeldelight wrote: »

Agencies worth a look are Locum Finders (used to be Locum Locators), Pharmaconex, TTM and IPOS Locums

Heads up with [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]
. He deducts employer PRSI from you the employee's pay!

As if Pharmacy Locum pay wasn't bad enough - what with emergency tax and all!

see condition 8 on the link below
"[MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]
pay for a locum pharmacist is subject to deductions of employer PRSI."

Your choice but I know which particular agency I wouldn't use!

http://www.[MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]
.com/06_terms.html

Out of curiousity. What would the locum's hourly rate be?

upforit101

Deleted User wrote: »

Out of curiousity. What would the locum's hourly rate be?

[modsnip]The PM system exists for such matters[/modsnip] Euro per hour gross but disturbingly half of that is taken off you in emergency tax for every locum - and there is no way out of this.
= modsnip]The PM system exists for such matters[/modsnip] net per hour

locum-motion

upforit101 wrote: »

Heads up with [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]
. He deducts employer PRSI from you the employee's pay!

...

I don't usually work through agencies, but have done some via [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]
recently. Got a payslip last week. Employer's PRSI was not deducted from the rate agreed for the job. It is illegal to deduct Employer's PRSI from the employee's gross rate. I think that maybe this may have been pointed out to [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]
, and they haven't amended their website yet. If any locum (pharmacist or otherwise) has had Employer's PRSI deducted from their agreed rate, they should let their representative body know immediately. (Ie IPU for pharmacists, IMO for doctors etc). That's what you pay your membership for.

upforit101

upforit101 wrote: »

** Euro per hour gross but disturbingly half of that is taken off you in emergency tax for every locum - and there is no way out of this.
= **.** net per hour

I presume you can then claim this back?

locum-motion

Deleted User wrote: »

I presume you can then claim this back?

Absolutely. But you may have to wait til Oct of the following year to do so.
If you're doing regular locum work with a few companies, spilt your tax credits amongst them, and in those employments you will be taxed correctly. You'll still be taxed @ 41% in any other employments, but that's fine. Talk to a good accountant that you trust about how to structure your business.

Mod note I have snipped out references to the going rate for locum pharmacists. I am one, and it is none of the business of any Tom, Dick and Harry reading this thread how much (or little, depending on viewpoint) we earn. If you do wish to share details of what you earn with another poster, please use the PM system. That's the first point. The second is that there's no set 'going rate' anyway. If there was, that would be price fixing in a marketplace, which is illegal under Competition law. Boards.ie cannot be used to facilitate illegal activity. /modnote

The rate paid to a locum in any given job is a function of many things; the quality and experience of the locum, the length of the job, the hours involved, and how stingy or otherwise the employer is. For the benefit of those in the business, if you're worth it, there is more available out there than the amount quoted. I for one always refuse work that is offered at that rate; I'd rather have a day or two off (like today, in fairness) each week than work at a rate that undervalues my contribution.

Oh sorry. I am a pharmacy student. That's why I was curious.

angeldelight

Certainly up until May [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]did indeed deduct employers PRSI - they were the main agency I worked for for a few months and although they quoted a higher hourly rate than the others in reality it worked out the same once this deduction was made.

I didn't realise it was illegal though. I don't know about June as I forgot to submit my timesheet!

I always thought you got paid more locumming than with a permanent pharmacy job.

angeldelight

It used to be the case but not as good as it was anymore. In saying that if I worked 40 hours a week every week then I would earn, gross, more than some of my friends in full time jobs. However it used to be possible to work less hours and still earn more

kdowling

I never comment on thee threads but i registered today especially because I need to get this off my chest!
I have been a locum working in dublin for 9 years now (trinity grad)
Locum agencies are my pet hate even though I have used most of them at one stage or another. I have used locum locators, pharmaconex,
locum suppliers and pharmacyOne.
Locum locators are solely responsible for the vast decrease in locum rate over the last 2 years. They had a monolopy in the locum recruitment market and used to make huge sums of money. initially they paid a fair rate and everybody was happy. But when things got bad the big chains got together and told them to drop their locum rates. They then decided to drop their rates for every job so that even if a pharmacy is prepared to pay the locum at a higher rate the locum only gets the lower rate. All it takes is for the independant pharmacy owner to hear that locum locators are paying x amount/hour for them to also drop their rates.
* is the lesser of two evils as far as locum pharmacists are concerned!! At least their is a variability in his rates and on occasions you can get paid decent rates. that is important that at least if a harmay is stuck and willing to pay extra he passes it on (in part).
Now bare in mind i hve been a locum 9 years so i know a lot of people in the pharmacy world. A friend of mine, a pharmacy owner asked what his rate were and what the story with employers prsi. He said that he deducts the employersprsi from the locums salary with is completely illgal and anyone who was a victim of this should check that out with their lawyor.
I have used locum suppliers(which i found on facebook!) and pharmacyone (who advertise their jobs on their website) only occasionally neither of which i have had any problem with.
Now, i apologise for the long rant but it is dfficult to watch yur profession to be ripped apart by these agencies when you have spent 5 hard years studying and end up getting paid no more than a labourer in some cases.

Locum

Hi upforit101

thanks for your message.

My name is Paolo, I'm a pharmacist, Locum and the director of [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP]
.

I just wanted to reply to clarify this matter and to advise that this is no longer the case, we originally did do this but have since been able to work around this and no longer deduct Employers PRSI.

We will be updating our website in the next few days to state that this is no longer the case.

I'm sure this will be confirmed by any locums that has been working with us in the last year.

We agree rates in advance with locums and that is the rate that you get paid, we have been operating on this basis for several months now, and it was an oversight that we did not update our website - thanks to your comment we will be changing this as soon as possible !

However for any more clarifications please give me a ring or e-mail me...

and thanks a mill


Paolo (LOCUM :-)

upforit101 wrote: »

Heads up with [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP] He deducts employer PRSI from you the employee's pay!

As if Pharmacy Locum pay wasn't bad enough - what with emergency tax and all!

see condition 8 on the link below

"[MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP] pay for a locum pharmacist is subject to deductions of employer PRSI."

Your choice but I know which particular agency I wouldn't use!

http://www.[MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP] .comp/06_terms.html

Locum

Hi There

Thanks to one of your user we found out that there was mistake published on out website.... just to let everybody know that this oversight has been fixed.

thanks a mill again

Paolo

kdowling

paolo, you say on your website that your company is run specifically for pharmacists and that you do not acquire a percentage of the pharmacists wage. Why then do you take 5 euro per hour from the pharmacists wage as well as your fee?
Is that another "mistake" on your website?
The locum rate has gone low enough without you taking part of our wages for yourself.

Locum

Hi

I am not sure of the point you are trying to make, we do not determine the rate of pay that is dictated by our clients. They specify the rates they wish to pay and that is what we offer the locum, the locum is free to either accept or refuse this rate. Some companies will offer a higher rate to locums that they engage directly as they do not have to pay an agency fee, maybe this is why you think that we are deducting from the rate ?

Thanks

Paolo

Hannibal_12

Yes the aul locums have taken a decided turn for the worst. I'm not sure how, long term, the scene for locums and indeed full time pharms is going to end up. There are now so many negative pressures on pharmacy, draconian cuts introduced by the odious Ms Harney, IPHA price reduction, reference pricing over supply of both Irish and foreign pharmacists not to mention the recession.
Given the hours you work and responsibility you have I can't see people continuing to apply to do it in any sizable numbers if this continues, amazing how a profession can suffer such a dramatic slide.

Oh and certain locum agencies who actually deduct €5 per hour of an already meagre hourly rate don't help matters either.

locum-motion

Hannibal_12 wrote: »

...I can't see people continuing to apply to do it in any sizable numbers if this continues...

CAO applications for Pharmacy down 21% this year, according to today's Irish Times.

Hannibal_12

locum-motion wrote: »

CAO applications for Pharmacy down 21% this year, according to today's Irish Times.

Hardly surprising, that trend will continue as well. Very long hours/permanent wkend/stress/ work for the same remuneration as a mid level civil servant (or even less). I have a few friends in the UK and the rates over there are now equal or in many cases higher than here, if sterling ever recovers against the euro then the difference will be very sizable not to mention cost of living there vs here.

Delancey

locum-motion wrote: »

CAO applications for Pharmacy down 21% this year, according to today's Irish Times.

What is driving this sizeable fall in applications ? Negative stories about Pharmacy as a career ?

frodi

delancey42 wrote: »

What is driving this sizeable fall in applications ? Negative stories about Pharmacy as a career ?

More than just stories. Salaries are down and there are not as many job opportunities. The prospects of owning your own pharmacy are severely dented ATM.

Cut backs are the order of the day in pharmacy, margins are down so the money available for salaries is greatly reduced. Many pharmacies are cutting back on opening hours so the volume of available work is also down. Anyone smart enough to get the points for pharmacy are smart enough to look at other options.

amjon.

Hannibal_12 wrote: »

Hardly surprising, that trend will continue as well. Very long hours/permanent wkend/stress/ work for the same remuneration as a mid level civil servant (or even less). I have a few friends in the UK and the rates over there are now equal or in many cases higher than here, if sterling ever recovers against the euro then the difference will be very sizable not to mention cost of living there vs here.

Pharmacy in the UK is a whole different beast to Ireland. The profession is in the process of being violently raped and murdered by the big multiples and government.
Much like Ireland the reimbursement prices of drugs have been slashed. Instead of leaving it there and picking on dentists or doctors, (like Harney) the UK government then offers a fraction of this money back in return for the completion of a set quota of "enhanced" and "advanced" services which create untold pressure and stress in the work place. If you go to work for Boots or Lloyds in the UK you will have some prick who probably never even finished school breathing down the back of your back looking for you to do MUR's or some other pseudo-medical intervention.
Some of you have may have heard of the "Responsible" pharmacist. Back in October there was a change in UK pharmacy law whereby the pharmacist ceased to be supervising but became responsible. This basically means that as the pharmacist in charge of the pharmacy you are legally responsible for absolutely everything that goes on in that store from the moment you sign on to the register to the moment you sign off. The multiples and superintendents think that this is a brilliant idea and spout garbage such as " it's gives you so much more control of your store" or " you have gained a huge amount of professional autonomy". Basically what it means is for your shift in the store you assume you old job of supervision ect along with a shift as a superintendent. Needless to say there has been no increase in compensation for our new expanded role despite its massive legal ramifications.
Next is the dicey subject of remote supervision. Basically it means a single pharmacist will be responsible for the medication dispensed in several pharmacies, probably through video link up. Now this will appear as quite a radical if not crackpot idea to many Irish pharmacists but it has been around for a number of years in the UK. The thin edge of the wedge has already been inserted vis a vis the aforementioned RP legislation whereby you can take a two hour absence from the pharmacy without the shop being forced to close. It will have the full backing of all the multiples so will probably only be a matter of time until it will be pushed through.
There are many other threats to the profession in the UK such as dispensing doctors, central collection of prescriptions from drop off points in supermarkets and acrediated checking technicians. There are also reams of paperwork ready to strangle you, the latest bright idea being "Information Governance".
The main threat to pharmacy is not listed above. The main threat to pharmacy does not lie in the marketing or accounting department of the multiples. The main threat to pharmacy won't be found in any government proposal or new piece of legislation. The main threat to pharmacy is pharmacists themselves. Pharmacist’s apathy and lack of a united front will be their eventual undoing. I don't think it is too late put a stop to this slow tide that is gradually eroding our profession. We need not suffer the same fate as our once neighbours - the butcher and the baker - and be consigned to aisle or unit in a supermarket. It is our choice, together. We can chose to turn to Boots ect say NO or we can continue bury our heads in the sand and blame others or maybe even run off to the nearest hill with greener grass.

anotherlostie

The reality is that information technology, robotics and changes to mandatory original pack dispensing could do away with the role of the pharmacist in the dispensary. Script could be downloaded to pharmacy from a secure website by admin when the patent walks in and the technology could do the rest with a cross check that everything is correct, and with a properly validated system and barcodes, even that would not need someone with a pharmacist's training.

Strict(ish) protocols regarding OTC counselling are already a practice in the vast majority of pharmacies. Most pharmacists when they started working worked with counter assistants who were far more knowledgeable than they. Ultimately the pharmacist's role in things could come down to being the one with the professional liability insurance should things go wrong (and dispensing emergency supply...) I'm glad I'm not a community pharmacist any more.

Amjon, you always seem so disheartened with community pharmacy in your posts, I wonder why you don't decide to go back and choose a different career. Is there anything you like about the job?

Delancey

frodi wrote: »

More than just stories. Salaries are down and there are not as many job opportunities. The prospects of owning your own pharmacy are severely dented ATM.

Cut backs are the order of the day in pharmacy, margins are down so the money available for salaries is greatly reduced. Many pharmacies are cutting back on opening hours so the volume of available work is also down. Anyone smart enough to get the points for pharmacy are smart enough to look at other options.

I am not disputing your assertions , indeed I have a family member who recently abandoned plans to open their own Pharmacy citing reduced margins , etc.
Yet despite these issues , in the town I live ( a mid-sized Midlands town ) I have seen 3 new pharmacies open in the last 18 months - surely they would not have opened if their operators did not think they would suceed ?

bleg

Well in the days when there was bigish money in pharmacy (about 2005) it took 3 years for a pharmacy to become profitable. While I wouldn't be able to comment on the individual pharmacies I would be surprised if all three were open in two years time. Unless they're part of a chain.

Delancey

bleg wrote: »

Well in the days when there was bigish money in pharmacy (about 2005) it took 3 years for a pharmacy to become profitable. While I wouldn't be able to comment on the individual pharmacies I would be surprised if all three were open in two years time. Unless they're part of a chain.

Interesting point - certainly 1 of the 3 has never had a single customer inside any time I have walked by...

bleg

Are they part of a chain?

Delancey

bleg wrote: »

Are they part of a chain?

Nope - thay appear to be independent - interestingly I understand their pharmacists working there are all from countries other than Ireland.

Ghostswimmer

delancey42 wrote: »

Nope - thay appear to be independent - interestingly I understand their pharmacists working there are all from countries other than Ireland.

The pharmacies would not happen to be named after the shopping centre they are in, by any chance?

Delancey

Ghostswimmer wrote: »

The pharmacies would not happen to be named after the shopping centre they are in, by any chance?

Yes , at least 2 of them are including the one that seems to have no customers. Funny you ask ?

calm1

Employee pharmacist are in an invidious situation right now , basically down to 2 main issues 1. The IPU represents employer pharmacists only 2. The Pharmaceutical society is now a regulator not a professional support organisation. Neither body seems to have any interest in setting employment standards and rates, the unfettered 'market' is being allowed to determine rates, which was fine in the 'tiger' era and before we had 3 schools of pharmacy supplying pharmacists (guess who's idea that was?). Interesting to note that Sam Mc Auley's profits are up by 2M on 2007 levels, mainly down to radical cost cutting..I am now being offered locum rates 30% lower that 4 years ago, probably less than a plumber or brickie..nothing against plumbers or brickies but there is a radical difference in the numbers of years training and level of responsibility. THere is only one thing for it guys and gals, we have to organise an employee pharmacists union...

Hannibal_12

amjon. wrote: »

Pharmacy in the UK is a whole different beast to Ireland. The profession is in the process of being violently raped and murdered by the big multiples and government.
Much like Ireland the reimbursement prices of drugs have been slashed. Instead of leaving it there and picking on dentists or doctors, (like Harney) the UK government then offers a fraction of this money back in return for the completion of a set quota of "enhanced" and "advanced" services which create untold pressure and stress in the work place. If you go to work for Boots or Lloyds in the UK you will have some prick who probably never even finished school breathing down the back of your back looking for you to do MUR's or some other pseudo-medical intervention.
Some of you have may have heard of the "Responsible" pharmacist. Back in October there was a change in UK pharmacy law whereby the pharmacist ceased to be supervising but became responsible. This basically means that as the pharmacist in charge of the pharmacy you are legally responsible for absolutely everything that goes on in that store from the moment you sign on to the register to the moment you sign off. The multiples and superintendents think that this is a brilliant idea and spout garbage such as " it's gives you so much more control of your store" or " you have gained a huge amount of professional autonomy". Basically what it means is for your shift in the store you assume you old job of supervision ect along with a shift as a superintendent. Needless to say there has been no increase in compensation for our new expanded role despite its massive legal ramifications.
Next is the dicey subject of remote supervision. Basically it means a single pharmacist will be responsible for the medication dispensed in several pharmacies, probably through video link up. Now this will appear as quite a radical if not crackpot idea to many Irish pharmacists but it has been around for a number of years in the UK. The thin edge of the wedge has already been inserted vis a vis the aforementioned RP legislation whereby you can take a two hour absence from the pharmacy without the shop being forced to close. It will have the full backing of all the multiples so will probably only be a matter of time until it will be pushed through.
There are many other threats to the profession in the UK such as dispensing doctors, central collection of prescriptions from drop off points in supermarkets and acrediated checking technicians. There are also reams of paperwork ready to strangle you, the latest bright idea being "Information Governance".
The main threat to pharmacy is not listed above. The main threat to pharmacy does not lie in the marketing or accounting department of the multiples. The main threat to pharmacy won't be found in any government proposal or new piece of legislation. The main threat to pharmacy is pharmacists themselves. Pharmacist’s apathy and lack of a united front will be their eventual undoing. I don't think it is too late put a stop to this slow tide that is gradually eroding our profession. We need not suffer the same fate as our once neighbours - the butcher and the baker - and be consigned to aisle or unit in a supermarket. It is our choice, together. We can chose to turn to Boots ect say NO or we can continue bury our heads in the sand and blame others or maybe even run off to the nearest hill with greener grass.

Interesting though to be honest the line dividing UK pharm and Irish pharm is becoming increasingly blurred everyday. Having previously been in the employ of a certain UK chain resident in Ireland I recognise precisely what you describe, the preponderance of these "managers" who almost seem actively hostile to the pharmacist in store as a consequence of some ill defined salary envy (maybe not so much now) and who see the number of "items" dispensed as the single purpose for the existence of the pharmacist without having even the remotest idea of the work involved with those items.
The new pharmacy act here has also (similar to the UK legislation) introduced a whole new set of avenues for litigation and complaints. My friend, a pharmacy owner, now says that the ease of making a complaint has facilitated every joe crackpot with a grudge to bring forth his/her particular vendetta.
I hope you are right regarding the recovery of pharm in Ireland though given the fractious nature of the profession as evidenced during the horrid pharmacy strike and the blatant lack of a proper union to combat hostile and ignorant politicians/media then I'm not so sure, time will tell.

angeldelight

calm1 I presume you're an employee pharmacist? The IPU represents all community pharmacists - employers and employees. They have an employee pharmacist subcommittee who can be contacted with any issues you may be having. Are you a member of the IPU? The number of my friends who haven't joined always surprises me - we're nothing alone in terms of getting anything done and need to stick together.

Nobody can "set" wages either - it would be price fixing and anti-competitive. We all know how quickly the competition agency can act when it wants to! Supply and demand for the most part dictates wages but at the same time we have to stand up for ourselves - I have been offered jobs at rates which in my opinion are unacceptable and I've turned them down. It was really difficult to do as I hadn't much work and was quite newly qualified at the time but if I'd said yes I would have been completely underselling myself and in my opinion devaluing the entire profession. However I am 100% sure that someone else worked for him at that rate - and next time he'll probably offer less, to see how far he can push it.

locum-motion

I suggest you educate yourself:

calm1 wrote: »

1. The IPU represents employer pharmacists only

The entire constitution and the committees of the IPU were reorganised about four years ago. Something like 45 - 50% of the membership are Employees. There is now an Employee Pharmacists' Committee, and that Committee gets to nominate its own representatives on the Executive and Community Pharmacy Committees. If you had read the IPU Review in recent months, you'd have seen many articles written by and for Employee members, and you'd also have seen that the Union's new dispute resolution/mediation service has been recently launched. This is an initiative of the EPC.

calm1 wrote: »

2. The Pharmaceutical society is now a regulator not a professional support organisation.

The PSI was never a professional support organisation. Its remit is now and always has been to look out for the interests of the patient, and only the patient. Unlike the RPSGB, for example, which had (perhaps still has, I dont know as I'm no longer a member) the dual remit of the interests of the patient and the profession.

calm1

If the IPU represents employee pharmacists why are locum agencies allowed to drive down rates to the lowest possible level at the behest of the pharmacy chains? Surely one of the functions of a union is to secure reasonable rates of pay for its professional members .. and pleeeeeze don't use competion law as a smoke screen.

frodi

calm1 wrote: »

If the IPU represents employee pharmacists why are locum agencies allowed to drive down rates to the lowest possible level at the behest of the pharmacy chains? Surely one of the functions of a union is to secure reasonable rates of pay for its professional members .. and pleeeeeze don't use competion law as a smoke screen.

There is a difference between a Union representing 500 employees with one employer and 500 employees with 500 employers. The IPU can negotiate with any one employer on behalf of the employees in that pharmacy/chain. Unless all employers single and chains agree to one voice in negotiations there cannot be industry wide negotiations to set salary rates.
A few years ago employees were putting the squeeze on the chains, it has just turned full circle. I did not hear many on the employee side call for wage restraint then.

Locum agencies can put the a squeeze on locum rates because there are pharmacists out there who are willing to work for those rates. If nobody accepted these rates they would soon rise. However I am a believer in the peanuts principle and feel that this low wages policy will rebound on those employing it.

frodi

Just to add. The industry margins that paid the previously big salaries are gone and not likely to return. The massive over supply of pharmacists is set to continue, from once school with 50 grads per year to 3 schools with 170 grads per year, as well as all the UK colleges and European pharmacists who have come to work here.

Many of the chains are massively over exposed to the banks and servicing those debts is their main priority.

Salaries are in my view unnaturally low ATM and will come back a bit. But pharmacy is a whole new ball game now. Anybody who did pharmacy on the basis of the salaries available were a bit like the gold prospectors heading to California just because a few hit it rich. The seam has dried up.

locum-motion

calm1 wrote: »

If the IPU represents employee pharmacists why are locum agencies allowed to drive down rates to the lowest possible level at the behest of the pharmacy chains? Surely one of the functions of a union is to secure reasonable rates of pay for its professional members .. and pleeeeeze don't use competion law as a smoke screen.

What Frodi said!

amjon.

anotherlostie wrote: »

Amjon, you always seem so disheartened with community pharmacy in your posts, I wonder why you don't decide to go back and choose a different career. Is there anything you like about the job?

I would go back tomorrow morning if I actually knew what I wanted to do. While initially I absolutely hated the job, I think that was more an knee jerk reaction to the transition from university life to working life. The job itself isn't actually that bad when you compare it to other proffessions like law, acountancy, and medicine( if the threads about NCHD pay cuts and hours are anything to go by). It's the way the profession is getting treated is my main problem.

kdowling

I think most pharmacists are completely dissillusioned wth the IPU.
What am I going to get from my annual subscription?
What have they ever achieved for employee pharmacists?

A lot of the pharmacies have been biten in the backside this summer because of the low wages they were offering. Loads of pharmacists fecked off to the uk and they were not able to fill positions over the last two months. One pharmacy owner who was offering ridicuously low rates a few months ago was giving out how he couldn't get cover last month!! what did he expect?!!

I don'tthink this will last long. In a month or two the wages will drop again and pharmacists will be back working for peanuts. I wouldn't holdmy breath that the IPU will be of any benefit for employee pharmacists and their ever decreasing wages.

I would advocate for all employee pharmacists not to use any locum agencies. Get out there and hand out your business cards and talk to the pharmacy owners yourselves. The likes of [MODSNIP] Agency "A" [/MODSNIP] who utilise a payroll system so they can talk 5 euro/hour off the pharmacist wae for their own profit really fustrates me. as if the wages are not ow enuf already.
I'm not going to go into their way of doing business again because my last post about it was deleted but what annoys me is that the owner claims to be their for pharmacists yet he drives their wage down futher.

locum-motion

kdowling wrote: »

I think most pharmacists are completely dissillusioned wth the IPU.
What am I going to get from my annual subscription?
What have they ever achieved for employee pharmacists?

For a start, you could ring them and let you know that you have a problem with the person/company you persist* in naming in your posts! Other people have done so, and things have been changed!
Also, see my other post about the reorganisation of the IPU and their new mediation service for members.
And then, from a purely monetary point of view, there's also a selection of affinity schemes and discounts available that could potentially recoup your entire membership fee for the year. Are you currently a member?

*: On the issue of naming and shaming: You have posted here on four occasions now, and every one of your posts has attracted the attention of the Moderators, either in the form of a warning, an edit, or a deletion.
BE VERY CAREFUL about what you say about named people.
Free speech IS NOT a right you enjoy on Boards.ie.

kdowling

no, i'm not a member this year. not for monetary reasons as its not that expensive but i was a member for six years and I feel that they have let us down big time. Both the employers in relation to their dispute with the HSE last year and the employee with the plumetting wages.

What have the ipu ever achieved? This employees commitee is the biggest joke ever, a complete waste of time. They set up a committe which make submissions to the psi and department of health etc which are just ignored and then waste their time complying a "salary guideline for employee's" which is completely ignored by the employers.

Whats the point of joining?

Ausone

kdowling wrote: »

no, i'm not a member this year. not for monetary reasons as its not that expensive but i was a member for six years and I feel that they have let us down big time. Both the employers in relation to their dispute with the HSE last year and the employee with the plumetting wages.

What have the ipu ever achieved? This employees commitee is the biggest joke ever, a complete waste of time. They set up a committe which make submissions to the psi and department of health etc which are just ignored and then waste their time complying a "salary guideline for employee's" which is completely ignored by the employers.

Whats the point of joining?

As a matter of interest....
How have the IPU let you down?
What do you want the IPU to do that they have not done?

kdowling

The IPU have never achieved anything for pharmacists. You can make submission to regulatory bodies all day long but it will make no difference whatsoever.
On reflection, I was probably a bit harsh in my last post. I suppose its easy to sit back and be negative at least those on the employee committee are actively trying to make a difference.

Ausone

kdowling wrote: »

The IPU have never achieved anything for pharmacists. You can make submission to regulatory bodies all day long but it will make no difference whatsoever.
On reflection, I was probably a bit harsh in my last post. I suppose its easy to sit back and be negative at least those on the employee committee are actively trying to make a difference.

"The IPU have never achieved anything for pharmacists."

That statement reveals a lot about you.

In my last post I asked you 2 questions:-
How have the IPU let you down?
What do you want the IPU to do that they have not done?

I doubt there is any chance of a constructive engagement, but on the off chance..........

locum-motion

MODNOTE:

Following my own advice, I've gone back through the thread and applied the Mod scissors a little more strictly than before. An agency now referred to as "Agency A" was accused of certain dodgy dealings, and their boss has replied to those allegations. However, I think it's probably fairest if the identity of the agency in question is disguised as far as practicable.

Posting allegations on Boards.ie is no different in law to publishing them in the newspaper; you could be sued for defamation if they're not true. More importantly, so could Boards.ie.

PLEASE, FOR YOUR OWN SAKE AND OURS, BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU POST ABOUT NAMED COMPANIES.

Delancey

Given that first round CAO offers are out I was wondering what change ( if any ) there has been to the points required for Pharmacology/Pharmacy ?

bleg

Up 5 in RCSI, down 5 in the other two courses.

frodi

bleg wrote: »

Up 5 in RCSI, down 5 in the other two courses.

The real difference will be in the numbers going to UK colleges because they could not get a place in Ireland.