Locum pharmacists fill temporary vacancies when full-time pharmacists are unavailable.
While both perform the same core pharmacist duties, locum and permanent positions differ significantly in contract terms, benefits, and duration.
If you’re considering a career as a locum pharmacist and want more information before making your decision, you’re in the right place.
If this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
Key Takeaways
- Locum pharmacists are freelance professionals filling temporary pharmacy positions.
- Advantages include flexible schedules, diverse experiences, networking, and higher pay.
- Locum work requires managing taxes, personal insurance, and administrative duties.
- Frequent travel and integration into new workplaces are common challenges.
Table of Contents
What Is a Locum Pharmacist?
A locum pharmacist is a licensed pharmacist who operates on a freelance or self-employed basis, providing temporary pharmaceutical services across various healthcare settings.
The temporary nature of locum work is the key difference from permanent positions, where pharmacists typically remain with one employer for extended periods.
As for their responsibilities, they encompass all the regular ones of any pharmacy practice, including accurate prescription, dispensing, medication therapy management, etc. They also follow the same practice regulatory rules as regular pharmacists.
Related: What Is Locum Tenens? Role, Jobs & Salary Range Explained
How to Become a Locum Pharmacist
To become a locum pharmacist, you should have a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited institution and complete the required internship hours.
Also, keep in mind that in addition to passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination ( NAPLEX), you may need to pass state-specific exams (like the MPJE) before you can apply to become a locum pharmacist.
From there, all you have to do is apply to locum pharmacist positions through agencies or direct outreach to pharmacies that accept locums. You may try Aya Locums and Pharmacy Locum Jobs if you are an interested pharmacist.
Related: Explore the Top Five Locum Tenens Companies Under NALTO
Advantages of Being a Locum Pharmacist
Landing a locum job as a pharmacist isn’t difficult, plus it comes with a few pros:
Flexibility and Autonomy
Locum pharmacists have a decent control over their work schedules and locations, essentially allowing them to tailor their professional commitments to personal preferences, at least compared to full-time pharmacists.
If work-life balance is a priority for you, this ability to select your assignments can be a significant advantage.
Diverse Clinical Exposure
Working across various pharmacy settings (community, hospital, ambulatory care, or specialty clinics) provides extensive experience and develops your adaptability skills.
You’ll be working with different types of patients in different environments, and they’ll come up with different requests and needs, something you can hardly get if you work in the same setting for years.
Professional Development and Networking
When you spend three years in the same place, you get to know the medical staff working with you and in the area around you. However, three years across different settings will expose you to a lot more healthcare teams.
In other words, your professional network will grow significantly faster, along with all the career opportunities that may come along with it.
Financial Incentives
All locum jobs in the health industry often have higher hourly rates compared to full contracts. Regular pharmacists can earn up to $71.44 per hour, while their locum counterparts may stretch that to $74.28 per hour. While the difference may seem small, it amounts to an additional $454.40 monthly or $5,452.80 annually.
Plus, since they often travel a lot, they usually get reimbursed for the travel accommodations expenses. If utilized correctly, working as a locum pharmacist can actually be more lucrative than working as a full-time one.
Career Exploration
One of the biggest advantages of locum work is essentially getting paid while exploring different career options. The locum assignments you receive allow you to evaluate different practice settings and geographic locations before committing to permanent roles.
And yes, if you and your temporary employer come to a mutual agreement, you can actually get a full-time contract.
Considerations Before Becoming a Locum Pharmacist
While there are many advantages to becoming a locum tenens pharmacist, you do have to consider a few things first:
Administrative and Regulatory Responsibilities
Locum pharmacists must independently manage their professional liability insurance, tax obligations, credentialing, and compliance with varying state or facility-specific regulations. In many ways, locum pharmacists operate as independent contractors or freelancers.
This administrative burden requires organizational skills, but pharmacists who know what they’re doing will find this a mild inconvenience at best. For those new to locum work, navigating these administrative requirements can be challenging. Consulting an expert in these matters can save a lot of money.
Lack of Employment Benefits
Locum pharmacists may enjoy more hourly pay compared to regular ones, but they rarely benefit from other contract benefits like health insurance, sign-up bonuses, retirement benefits, and so on.
If you choose to become a locum pharmacist, you have to budget for these expenses personally, which can affect your overall compensation if your hourly rate isn’t good enough.
Integration Challenges
Frequent transitions between different workplaces can be good for some but difficult for others. It necessitates rapid acclimation to new teams, workflows, electronic health record systems, etc.
In other words, a quick transition between work locations like this is not for everyone.
Geographical and Scheduling Demands
Locum pharmacists, more often than not, will need to travel extensively or work irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and in some cases, holidays. Their main purpose is to cover for the absence of their permanent peers, after all, and holidays are among the causes of absenteeism.
Should You Become a Locum Pharmacist?
You should definitely consider becoming a locum pharmacist if:
- You don’t mind handling your own taxes and paperwork
- You’re okay with travelling occasionally to work
- You don’t mind the absence of full-time contractual benefits
If these factors don’t seem like a major setback to you, the experience, income, and professional networking you get will be more than worth it.
However, all online guides (including this one) don’t measure individual circumstances. While this overview gives you a general understanding of locum pharmacy work, making the right decision requires evaluating your specific circumstances.
If you’re new to locum work, professional guidance can help you avoid common pitfalls and make informed decisions. Contact us at Physicians Thrive; we are doctors who offer consultations to other doctors, and nobody will guide you better than someone who’s walked the path you’re about to.
Also Read: 10 Locums Jobs in the Medical Industry
