Log a shift

Logging a shift is the first step towards getting paid: once it is recorded, you can turn it into an invoice and track the payment all the way through to paid.

Here is how to add one, field by field.

Before you start#

You don't need anything set up first — log a shift whenever you've worked one. If your payment details are still missing, you'll see a soft prompt: "You can log shifts now. Add your payment details before you create an invoice." That nudge links to Settings, but it never blocks you from logging the shift; you only need those details in place before you create an invoice from it.

Log a shift, step by step#

1. 1

   Open the form

   Go to your shifts and select Log a shift, or double-click any day in the calendar to start one on that date.

2. 2

   Choose one shift or several days

   At the top of the form, pick a tab: One shift for a single day (the default), or Multiple days to log several days at once. The steps below cover One shift; for the calendar workflow, see Logging several days at once below.

3. 3

   Pick the pharmacy

   Under Pharmacy, pick a saved pharmacy from the dropdown. To add one, choose + Add a new pharmacy… and search the NHS directory by name, address, postcode or ODS code. Click a result to select it. Can't find it? Use Can't find it? Enter manually to type the name yourself, with the address and postcode optional.

4. 4

   Set the date

   Set the Date for the shift. To log more than one day, switch to the Multiple days tab instead — see Logging several days at once below.

5. 5

   Enter your rate

   Enter your Hourly rate (£). If enough locum pharmacists have reported their rates at that pharmacy, you'll see an anonymised median as a sense-check.

6. 6

   Set your hours and break

   Set your hours using the From and To dropdowns (15-minute steps), or tap a Quick fill chip like 9–5. Add an Unpaid break (minutes, optional) if you took one — it's deducted from your hours.

7. 7

   Add mileage (optional)

   Add Mileage (miles, optional) if you're claiming it. Once a pharmacy with a postcode is selected, Pharmosphere can estimate the round trip from your home postcode — use Estimate from postcodes or Re-estimate, and edit the figure if it's off.

8. 8

   Add notes (optional)

   Add any Notes (optional) you want on record.

9. 9

   Check and save

   Check the live summary showing your hours and estimated gross pay, then select Log shift.

Logging several days at once#

Worked a run of days? Switch to the Multiple days tab to log them together from a calendar.

1. 1

   Set your usual rate and hours

   Under Your usual rate & hours, set the Hourly rate (£) and the start and end times you usually worked (for example 09:00–17:00). These are applied to every day you pick, and you can tweak any single day afterwards.

2. 2

   Pick the days you worked

   Under Pick the days you worked, tap each day on the calendar. Every day you select becomes an editable shift in the list below, where you can adjust that day's times or override its rate. UK bank holidays show an amber dot — the legend reads "Bank holidays are marked — often a chance to negotiate a higher rate." — and the calendar follows your nation setting (England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland).

3. 3

   Add a break, mileage or notes (optional)

   Open Break, mileage & notes (optional) if you need to record an unpaid break, mileage or a note across the selected days.

4. 4

   Log them all

   Select the button at the foot of the form — it shows the count, for example Log 4 shifts — to log every selected day at once. Any day that clashes with a shift you've already logged is skipped, and back on the hub you'll see a banner such as "Logged 4 shifts" — with "· skipped 1 (time clash)" added if any were left out.

What happens after you save#

Your shift lands in the calendar with a logged status dot, ready to invoice. From there you can create an invoice from it, then track and chase the payment through to paid. Mileage is saved for your records and feeds into the invoice.

Got a detail wrong? While a shift is still un-invoiced, open it from the hub and select Edit to change the Date, Hourly rate (£), times, Unpaid break (minutes, optional), Mileage (miles, optional) or notes. You can even change the Pharmacy: pick another saved pharmacy, or choose + Add a new pharmacy… to search the NHS directory or enter one manually. The summary and your tax estimate update as you type — select Save changes when you're done.

Next, see creating an invoice or claiming expenses and mileage.