The Impact of Online Pharmacies on Locum Work

The familiar sight of the local high street pharmacy is no longer the only way patients in the UK access their medicines. The rapid rise of online and distance-selling pharmacies (DSPs)—from large national players to specialised digital clinics—is one of the most significant disruptions to the sector in decades.

For locum pharmacists, whose careers are built on the day-to-day needs of bricks-and-mortar pharmacies, this digital shift raises a crucial question: is the growth of online pharmacy a threat to our livelihood, or does it present a new kind of opportunity?

The answer is complex. While the online model is changing the nature of demand, it is also creating new roles and accelerating the evolution of the pharmacist's profession.

How Online Pharmacies Are Changing the Game

The primary impact of large online pharmacies lies in their operational model: centralised automated dispensing.

Instead of prescriptions being dispensed in hundreds of individual local pharmacies, many are now being sent electronically to vast, warehouse-style hubs. Here, robots and automated systems handle the picking, packing, and labelling of thousands of repeat prescriptions with incredible efficiency. These are then dispatched directly to patients' homes.

This "hub-and-spoke" model fundamentally changes the flow of work, and its effects are rippling through the entire pharmacy ecosystem.

The Direct Impacts on Locum Work

The rise of DSPs creates both challenges for the traditional locum role and opens doors to new ways of working.

The Challenges

1. Reduced Dispensing Volume in Community Pharmacies: The most direct impact is the reduction of repeat prescription volume in some local pharmacies. As more patients nominate online providers, the core dispensing workload that has historically justified the need for locum cover can decrease. A pharmacy that once needed a locum to manage 300 items a day might find that number reduced, potentially impacting demand.

2. Consolidation of Dispensing Roles: Centralised hubs are staffed by a core team of permanent pharmacists, accuracy checking technicians (ACTs), and dispensary staff. While these facilities are huge employers, they don't have the same day-to-day fluctuations in staffing needs as a network of 500 individual community pharmacies, which could lead to a consolidation of dispensing-focused roles.

The Opportunities

1. New Locum Roles Within Online Pharmacies: These large operations still require pharmacists, but often in different capacities. New remote and flexible roles are emerging, such as:

   • Digital Prescription Checking: Locum pharmacists can work from home, logging into a queue to clinically and legally verify prescriptions that have been assembled by the hub.

   • Remote Patient Support: Providing clinical advice and counselling to patients via telephone, secure messaging, or video call.

   • Clinical Governance: Short-term contracts to support clinical audits, safety reporting, and process development within these large-scale operations.

2. Accelerating the Shift to Clinical Services: This is the most crucial opportunity. As routine, profitable repeat dispensing moves online, community pharmacies must adapt to survive. Their value is shifting from the supply of medicines to the provision of clinical services that require face-to-face interaction. The NHS Pharmacy First service is the driving force behind this. This means:

   • Locum demand is becoming less about dispensing speed and more about clinical consultation skills.

   • Pharmacies need locums who can confidently manage minor ailment clinics, provide contraception services, and conduct blood pressure checks, freeing up the regular pharmacist to focus on business development.

3. The Rise of Specialist Online Clinics: A new ecosystem of private online clinics (e.g., for dermatology, men's health, or wellness) has emerged. These services are heavily reliant on pharmacists—particularly Independent Prescribers—to conduct remote consultations and issue prescriptions. This has created a brand-new, often highly paid, niche for suitably qualified locums.

What This Means for the Modern Locum

The message is clear: the ground is shifting beneath our feet. To thrive in 2026 and beyond, locums must adapt their skill set and mindset.

• Upskill to be Clinical: Your value is no longer just your availability; it's your clinical capability. Prioritise becoming an Independent Prescriber and get trained in all nationally commissioned services.

• Embrace Tech-Led Roles: Be open to remote working. A day spent digitally checking prescriptions from home can be a great way to supplement your income and control your schedule.

• Market Your Clinical Skills: When negotiating with pharmacies or agencies, highlight your experience with Pharmacy First, your prescribing qualifications, and your ability to deliver services. You are no longer just "covering a shift"; you are "providing clinical capacity."

In conclusion, while online pharmacies are disrupting the traditional locum model tied to dispensing volume, they are not eliminating the need for locums. Instead, they are forcing a positive evolution. The future for the adaptable, clinically-focused locum pharmacist is not one of scarcity, but one of new opportunities, diverse roles, and a more profound professional impact.