pharmacy assistant

A pharmacy technician has a variety of different but important responsibilities. Working under a pharmacist, you will keep electronic patient information up-to-date and accurate, prepare patient billing information, answer customer questions in-person and over the phone, use the till, and sell over-the-counter medicines. Additionally, your responsibilities could include preparing and dispensing some prescriptions, ordering medications, receiving deliveries, and restocking the pharmacy shelves. Some pharmacies may need you to perform all of these duties while other pharmacies may have you work more with the administrative side of the store than any other part.

As a pharmacy assistant, you will work in a pharmacy. The pharmacy can be a standalone store, in a larger retail store, or even in a doctor's office or hospital. You will mostly be on your feet during the workday and walking around the pharmacy to perform your job-related tasks. You will work with a small group of people, including at least one pharmacist, other pharmacy assistants, and some pharmacy technicians. You will work with different customers throughout your workday. Some of the people you serve during your workday could be sick and in great need of the help of their prescription.

Some pharmacies have regular daytime and evening hours while other pharmacies are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pharmacies are usually open on weekends and outside of regular working hours. This means that you probably will not have a regular Monday-through-Friday, 9-to-5 job schedule. You may be able to have some regularity in your work schedule with full-time hours as a pharmacy assistant, but you may also have the ability to be flexible with a part-time schedule. In a 24-hour pharmacy, you may work second or third shifts (overnight). In some positions, you will need to have irregular work hours.

The need for pharmaceutical services is increasing annually. With the increased need for prescription medications, the demand for pharmacy assistants will continue to increase. Considering that consumers will always have a need for prescription medications, pharmaceuticals is a secure field to enter into.

There are multiple skills and personality traits that help you perform well in a career as a pharmacy assistant. Working with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to prepare and dispense customers' medications requires that you are responsible and pay attention to detail. You will need to be able to follow the pharmacist's directions closely. You will be working with people routinely in this career, so being friendly, personable, and kind to provide good customer service is important. As an assistant, you need to be a good listener, remember the tasks assigned by the pharmacist or pharmacy management, and work well with others and under the charge of others. You will need to learn, understand, and comply with all federal, state, and local laws regarding pharmaceutical work. You will need to be organised and be able to responsibly and effectively manage a variety of different tasks that are required of you as an assistant to a pharmacist.

A pharmacy assistant works to support the pharmacist and the pharmacy technicians in a pharmacy. The roles you fulfill in the pharmacy range from clerical work to dispensing prescriptions. You will be responsible for updating patient files, helping answer customer questions, and assisting customers with purchasing their prescriptions. You could also be responsible for tasks like counting medications, reordering them, and restocking the pharmacy shelves. As an assistant, you will be under the supervision of a pharmacist and perform tasks they need to be completed in order for the pharmacy to run smoothly.

To become a pharmacy assistant, there are no set entry requirements, but most employers will expect good literacy, numeracy, and IT skills. Experience in a customer service role would be an advantage.

A pharmacy assistant working full-time hours makes a median annual income of over £18,005 - £19,337 with more years of experience and raises over time this could go up to 

Working in the healthcare industry as a pharmacy assistant is an important career where you can impact many individuals. If you enjoy interacting with many different people, can pay attention to detail, and enjoy being organised, you will excel at being a pharmacy assistant. Being a pharmacy assistant is an excellent career for people who are responsible, want to work with a small group of people, and are motivated to impact the lives of other people every day.

A pharmacy assistant should have basic computer skills with the ability to learn new electronic systems and processes. Some of your work will be on a computer, like ordering new prescriptions, performing online record keeping for pharmacy patients, and using the till to check out customers picking up their medications. A pharmacy assistant also needs to have excellent listening and communication skills. You will spend your day communicating important information with the other pharmacy staff and with customers. This includes answering questions customers have about their medication, their insurance, or the ordering process and relaying that information to the pharmacist as needed. It is important to listen well, understand, and give information accurately and effectively.