For pharmacy chains - corporate & banner
Stop depending on agencies. Run your own relief staffing.
In-house relief staffing for pharmacy. Run your own internal float pool, with a 5,000-pharmacist relief network as backup, on a flat fee instead of agency invoices.
Your staff first
Every location's team in one pool
Network as backup
Verified relief pros
One flat fee
A subscription, not per shift
Live in about a week
No IT project, guided rollout
- 3 months free during the pilot
- Hosted in Canada
- 5,000+ pharmacists
The order a shift gets filled
- 1Your store's own staffFirst call
- 2Your chain, every locationSame day
- 3Your trusted relief listPre-approved
- 45,000-pharmacist networkBackup, included
- 5An outside agencyRarely
Your own people fill it first, almost every time.
The cost today
Every open shift puts you back on the agency's clock.
You don’t just pay a fee. You wait, you chase, and you stay out of control. Between the booking fee and the wage premium, one agency shift runs about $155–315 more than covering it with your own staff. Multiply that across every open shift, every store, month after month.
ROI calculator
Agency money can go to your pharmacists.
See your total relief cost right now, and what you’d keep. Start with one location. Change any number to match your operation. That saving can go to better-paid pharmacists, better service, and happier customers.
Your operation
What relief costs you today
Total relief cost right now
Net saving with Relief Guru
What you'd run on instead ≈ $3,500 / yr
How this is calculated
Estimate. Assumes an 8-hour shift and that your in-house pool covers most relief once the system is running: about 85% of agency fees and 70% of wage premiums drop away, and admin time falls by about 60%. Figures exclude the Relief Guru subscription, which is free during the 3-month pilot.
Illustrative figures for planning only, rounded to the nearest $100. Your demo call includes a tailored estimate.
We used to send you pharmacists. Now you run the system.
Before
Calling the agency
An open shift meant calling an agency, waiting for availability and chasing confirmation. Each booking added agency fees and wage premiums, while your team handled the follow-up.
- A booking fee of $65–150 on every shift
- A wage premium of $10–30 an hour on top
- Coverage chased by phone, text and WhatsApp
Now
Running the software
Your team uses the software to offer shifts to your own pharmacist pool first, with the relief network as backup. Manage applications and confirm coverage in one place, on a flat subscription.
- One flat subscription, no per-shift fees
- In-house staff first, the network as backup
- Post a shift and fill it from one app
The solution
Your own staff first. The network as backup.
Agencies almost never.
More control. Less stress. Peace of mind. One connected pool across every location. About three shifts in four fill before you’d have finished the first phone call. The agency is last resort, not the plan.
-
1
Your store's own staff
Give employees at the store the first opportunity to cover the shift. They already know your local systems and routines, and you can review their availability before confirming the assignment.
~45% - if unfilled
-
2
Your chain's staff, every location
If the store cannot cover the shift, offer it to eligible staff at other locations. Your visibility settings determine who can see it, so you can share coverage across the stores or regions you choose.
~20% - if unfilled
-
3
Your trusted relief list
Next, invite the relief professionals your team already knows and trusts. Keep their profiles and previous shift history together so managers can review familiar candidates without searching through old messages.
~20% - if unfilled
-
4
5,000-pharmacist relief network
When your internal staff and preferred contacts cannot cover, reach the wider relief network included in your subscription. Review applicants against the shift requirements and agree the booking directly, with no per-shift platform fee.
~13% - only if you choose
-
5
Outside agency
If suitable coverage is still unavailable, you can choose to contact an outside agency. This remains a separate option, with the agency's own fees and terms, rather than the starting point for every open shift.
~2%
Illustrative share of shifts filled at each tier.
The difference reaches beyond the roster
Invest in the people your patients depend on.
The money you send to agencies can go to your pharmacists instead. Lower staffing costs create room for better pay, more attention for patients, and a better pharmacy experience. Happier pharmacists. Better service. Happier customers.
More room to reward your pharmacists.
Redirect a share of avoidable agency costs into fair shift incentives, team support, and a better experience for the people doing the work.
More attention where it matters.
Less staffing coordination gives managers more time to support their teams and the patient care their communities rely on.
A better day for your customers.
Supported pharmacists and well-coordinated teams help create the conditions for consistent, personal service.
The app
Less chasing. More control. Same coverage.
Every tool is here for the feeling it creates, not a feature list. Posting, applications, shift sharing, negotiation, reminders, invoicing, payment tracking. Not a WhatsApp group.
Less chasing. More control.
Fill shifts without the calls, follow-ups and guesswork.
From AutoSelect and overtime alerts to shift sharing, negotiation and chat, every tool keeps coverage moving in one place, so your team can get back to running the pharmacy.
AutoSelect
Less chasing, fewer decisions on repeat. Keep eligible applications moving with your criteria guiding approval.
Overtime alerts
Avoid a costly surprise. See projected hours before awarding a shift, so you can make a more informed staffing decision.
Shift sharing
Reach beyond your usual contacts without scattering the follow-up. Share one posting and keep applications together.
Shift exchanges
Plans change. Give staff a way to arrange a shift exchange, so a schedule change does not have to mean starting the coverage search again.
Direct negotiation
Agree the details directly. Keep pay, mileage and other shift terms together, with a clearer view of what you are committing to.
In-app chat
Resolve the small questions before they become another phone call. Keep the conversation close to the shift, so everyone knows what to expect.
Five ways
Five ways pharmacies take coverage back.
Most people assume this is one tool for big chains. It isn’t. Pick the one that matches how you staff today. Most chains land on the third.
Internal relief staffing only
"You have 60 pharmacists across 12 stores. Today they only see shifts at their own store. Now they see all of them, organised: applications, negotiation, last-minute cancellation cover, invoicing and payment tracking, reminders."
Today, external relief still adds $10–30 an hour on top of the wage. That is about $80–240 per 8-hour shift.
External staffing only
"No float pool? Fine. Use ours. 5,000+ verified professionals, and you still don't pay per shift."
Internal + external combined
Most chains run it this way"Your staff first. Our network second. Your agency almost never. That's the whole idea."
Run your own preferred relief staff, properly
"You already have five relief pharmacists you trust. You're just managing them in a WhatsApp group. Here's what that looks like with a real system behind it."
Single pharmacy, last-minute cover
"7:40am. Your technician calls in sick. 30 seconds later the shift is posted and your own team can grab it."
One system
Corporate, banner or independent. One system for all three.
The same Digital Relief Staffing Operating System, mobile and web, whether you run 3 stores or 300.
Corporate pharmacy
Head office, regional and district managers, store managers and a coordinator, all working one cascade.
Banner pharmacy
Independent owners under one banner. Each store runs its own coverage, with the network as shared backup.
Independent pharmacy
One store. Post an open shift in 30 seconds and your own team picks it up. No phone calls.
Corporate vs Banner
Same software. The only difference is who runs the coverage.
A banner manager runs it between serving patients. A corporate coordinator runs it as a full-time role. That’s the whole difference.
Banner
The pharmacy manager runs it, alongside running the store.
- Pharmacy managerpicks up every open shift
- Posts it, drives the cascadeown staff, then preferred relief
- Still open → outside agencyat full premium
Corporate
A staffing coordinator runs it, as a full-time role.
- Store managerssend their open shifts up
- Coordinator assigns internal reliefacross every location
- Leftover → outside agencylast resort
Enterprise
Your staff data stays yours. And stays in Canada.
Corporations worry their staff will be visible to other companies. They’re not. You control visibility, the data is encrypted at rest and in transit, and your HR system can feed it automatically.
Your staff data stays in Canada
Hosted entirely on AWS Canada (ca-central-1), encrypted at rest and in transit, and never visible to other companies.
Security and data residency
- PIPEDA-aligned data handling
- SOC 2 readiness in progress with a full audit trail
- Single sign-on through SSO or SAML
- Dedicated enterprise environment available on request
Access and visibility
- Role-based access for head office, regional, store and staffing teams
- Control which pools receive a shift, in what order and when
- Internal staff remain private to your organisation
- Choose how staff move between locations, regions or banners
Integration and onboarding
- HRMS or HRIS API sync keeps staff records current
- Upload complete rosters by spreadsheet
- Track licences and credentials
- Roll out with a dedicated account manager
Cost control and reporting
- See worked hours and projected overtime before assignment
- Set wage rates and caps for each coverage tier
- Use detailed reporting to answer budget questions
The comparison
One flat fee. Not a stack of per-shift invoices.
| How it compares | Relief GuruWhat you'd run | Traditional agency |
|---|---|---|
| Who fills the shift first | Your own staff, every location | Whoever the agency has on its bench |
| Per-shift fee | None | $65–$150 a shift |
| Wage premium | Lower: your own staff, your rates | $10–30/hr on top of the wage |
| Your staff's data | Private to your organisation, encrypted | Not your staff |
| Admin work | One system; broadcast and self-serve | Phone, email, spreadsheets |
| Cost model | Flat subscription | Per shift, unpredictable |
| Backup network | 5,000+ verified, included | The agency's own bench |
| Data location | Canada (AWS ca-central-1) | Wherever the vendor hosts |
Getting started
Live across your chain in about a week. No IT project.
Discovery call
We map your locations, how you cover shifts today, and what you want the pilot to prove.
Onboard locations
Add every location and import staff by HRMS sync or one spreadsheet. About 30 minutes per store.
Build your pools
Invite the relief people you already trust and switch on the 5,000-pharmacist network as backup.
Launch and optimise
Post real shifts from day one. Your account manager tunes visibility and timing to lift fill rates.
A 50-store pilot cluster is usually fully live within a week.
Start with a cluster. See the difference.
Make your next chapterone you control.
Explore 3 months free during the pilot program.
Bring a group of locations onto your own relief staffing system. See how your people use it, where coverage comes from, and what changes in your costs and coordination time.
Testimonials
What Our Users Say
I highly recommend Relief Guru! We often need relief pharmacists to ensure seamless operations, and Relief Guru has been a reliable partner in providing skilled and professional relief pharmacists.
As a pharmacist who has worked with various relief agencies, Relief Guru is in a league of its own. Communication is always clear and prompt, operations are completely transparent, and payments are consistently on time.
Very good service with relief guru, best relief company with great customer service and zero cut for pharmacist. Highly recommend.
Very happy with relief guru, found someone for me to cover my vacation quickly and effectively.
I highly recommend Relief Guru! We often need relief pharmacists to ensure seamless operations, and Relief Guru has been a reliable partner in providing skilled and professional relief pharmacists.
As a pharmacist who has worked with various relief agencies, Relief Guru is in a league of its own. Communication is always clear and prompt, operations are completely transparent, and payments are consistently on time.
Very good service with relief guru, best relief company with great customer service and zero cut for pharmacist. Highly recommend.
Very happy with relief guru, found someone for me to cover my vacation quickly and effectively.
We cannot recommend Relief Guru enough!! They have been instrumental in keeping our pharmacy staffed and running smoothly during a transition period of finding a new pharmacist.
Best agency to work with. Zero pharmacist pay cut, Response is quick, High per hour pay, Communication is excellent and always ready to help. Gayatri is the best!
Very convenient. I had a very good experience working with Relief Guru!! Was able to have efficient and trained pharmacist in a very short notice.
Great app. Love that they're constantly making improvements. Was easy to use.
We cannot recommend Relief Guru enough!! They have been instrumental in keeping our pharmacy staffed and running smoothly during a transition period of finding a new pharmacist.
Best agency to work with. Zero pharmacist pay cut, Response is quick, High per hour pay, Communication is excellent and always ready to help. Gayatri is the best!
Very convenient. I had a very good experience working with Relief Guru!! Was able to have efficient and trained pharmacist in a very short notice.
Great app. Love that they're constantly making improvements. Was easy to use.
The best relief company I have ever dealt with within the last years. Ankit has his very good and professional pharmacists network, he can help even with the last minute shifts.
Very professional relief company, Relief Guru always provide me with good quality shifts which means connect me with very committed and professional pharmacies owners and good rates as well.
Reliable and Professional Service! Relief Guru has been a fantastic support for my pharmacy. Their relief pharmacists are professional, knowledgeable and seamlessly integrate into our team.
I had an unexpected emergency and needed to cancel my shift last minute. Thank God for swap shift feature, I could swap it easily. Team made the whole process so easy!
The best relief company I have ever dealt with within the last years. Ankit has his very good and professional pharmacists network, he can help even with the last minute shifts.
Very professional relief company, Relief Guru always provide me with good quality shifts which means connect me with very committed and professional pharmacies owners and good rates as well.
Reliable and Professional Service! Relief Guru has been a fantastic support for my pharmacy. Their relief pharmacists are professional, knowledgeable and seamlessly integrate into our team.
I had an unexpected emergency and needed to cancel my shift last minute. Thank God for swap shift feature, I could swap it easily. Team made the whole process so easy!
Relief Guru platform is easy to use as a pharmacist looking for some extra shifts. The payment system is uncomplicated and prompt. Ankit is also very responsive.
I had picked up some shifts using the app and had great experience. They are very professional. Always responds to messages and got paid very fast too.
Great experience with Relief Guru! Reliable, peace of mind for the pharmacy owners. Good job!!!
Gayatri helped matched me with the right employer. They take careful consideration of what the employer and applicant need in order for it to be the right fit.
Relief Guru platform is easy to use as a pharmacist looking for some extra shifts. The payment system is uncomplicated and prompt. Ankit is also very responsive.
I had picked up some shifts using the app and had great experience. They are very professional. Always responds to messages and got paid very fast too.
Great experience with Relief Guru! Reliable, peace of mind for the pharmacy owners. Good job!!!
Gayatri helped matched me with the right employer. They take careful consideration of what the employer and applicant need in order for it to be the right fit.
Pharmacy chain staffing questions, answered.
No. Relief Guru is software your organization uses to run relief staffing across its own locations. Your team controls the pools, visibility, invitations and final selection. The verified external network is available as backup. Permanent hiring remains a separate service.
Yes. Eligible staff can be connected across the locations or regions you choose. When one store cannot cover a shift, it can be offered to approved staff elsewhere in the organization before you use an external pool.
Yes. Your organization sets which internal, cross-location, preferred and external pools can see a shift, in what order and on what timing. Access can be organized around the locations, regions or banners you operate.
No. Internal staff are not surfaced to other companies. Your organization controls staff and shift visibility, and internal staff data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
You can expand the shift to preferred relief contacts and then Relief Guru's verified external network. Your team reviews suitable applicants and makes the final selection, with no per-shift platform fee.
Your roster can be added through an HRMS or HRIS API sync, or by spreadsheet upload. A dedicated account manager guides the rollout. Confirm your system, field and access requirements during the discovery call.
Relief staffing uses a platform subscription rather than a per-shift agency fee. The pilot program is free for 3 months. Staff wages are separate. Confirm regular subscription pricing, any payment-processing charges and post-pilot terms with the Relief Guru team during your demo.
Start with a defined cluster of stores, onboard the locations and staff, and run real open shifts through Relief Guru for 3 months at no platform cost. At the end, review fill rate, cost and administrative workload before deciding whether to continue.