Guides · Updated 13 October 2026
How to become a locum pharmacist. The steps, in order.
Moving from an employed post to locum work is mostly paperwork done once. These are the steps, roughly in the order they are worth doing.
1. Be registered
You need to be on the GPhC register. Pharmacies and agencies will ask for your number and check it.
2. Decide how you will work
Most locums start as sole traders. If you work for yourself you must tell HMRC, and the deadline to register for Self Assessment is 5 October after the end of the tax year in which you started. An accountant can tell you whether a different set-up suits you better.
3. Arrange indemnity insurance
You are expected to have appropriate professional indemnity cover for the work you do. Keep the certificate and note when it runs out. In Locbase, indemnity is one line of your compliance checklist, with its expiry date and a warning before it lapses.
4. Get your checks and documents together
- A DBS certificate, at the level the work requires.
- Proof of your right to work in the UK and photo ID.
- Your indemnity certificate.
- Any training certificates a pharmacy or agency asks for.
- An NHS smartcard, if you will provide NHS services.
Most of these expire, and each pharmacy or agency will ask to see them again. Locbase's compliance checklist holds registration, DBS, indemnity and right to work in one place on your phone, each with its expiry date, and warns you before anything runs out. You tick an item off once and it is ready to show the next time you are booked.
5. Find work
Work comes through agencies, through booking platforms and directly from pharmacies. Most locums use more than one. Agree the rate and the payment terms before each session.
Example: The week before your first session
- Documents: Registration, indemnity, DBS, right to work and ID, all in date
- The booking: Date, hours, rate and payment terms confirmed in writing
- The pharmacy: Address, parking, dispensing system and who to ask for
- Your admin: Invoice details set up, so the first invoice goes the same day
6. Keep records from the first session
Record every session, every invoice and every expense from day one. It is far easier than rebuilding a year from bank statements, and it is what Making Tax Digital will require of you as your income grows.
What it costs to start
- Professional indemnity insurance.
- A DBS check, and the Update Service if you use it.
- Travel to your first sessions before the first payment arrives.
- An accountant, if you use one.
Expect a gap of several weeks between your first session and your first payment, and plan for it.
Your first month
Take fewer sessions than you think you can manage, at places you can reach easily. Send each invoice the day you work, and note what each pharmacy was like. By the end of the month you will know which to go back to.
Where Locbase fits
Locbase covers the last three steps on your phone. Its compliance checklist keeps your documents and their expiry dates in one place. It logs each session, makes and emails the invoice, and shows what has been paid.
Questions
Do locum pharmacists have to be self-employed?
No, but many are. Some work through agencies or as employees for some bookings. How you work affects how you are paid and taxed, so take advice before you start.
What does a locum pharmacist need before the first session?
GPhC registration, indemnity insurance, a DBS certificate, proof of right to work and ID, and somewhere to record your sessions and invoices.
How long does it take to start working as a locum pharmacist?
If you are registered and insured, the usual wait is for a DBS certificate and for agencies to check your documents. Allow a few weeks.
Do I need an accountant to be a locum?
It is not required, but many locums use one, at least for the first tax return.
Read next
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This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check with HMRC or a qualified accountant. Sources: GOV.UK: check how to register for Self Assessment.