Pharmacy Aides
Pharmacy aides record drugs delivered to the pharmacy, store incoming merchandise, and inform the supervisor of stock needs. They operate the cash register and accept prescriptions for filling.
A pharmacy aide primarily works as a pharmacy assistant. This pharmacy aide job description entails tasks such as concluding sales, updating and grouping paperwork, overseeing stock supplies, preparing labels for prescriptions and customer assistance. They interact regularly with both medical professionals and patients. They must strictly follow pharmacy and legal policies on medication dispensing, health records confidentiality and insurance claims.
How to become a pharmacy aide? While a high school qualification is a minimum to look for jobs, certification courses or programs are preferred. Colleges provide specialist courses on pharmacology, medication safety, billing and reimbursement, pharmacy law, pharmacy inventory management and pharmacy information systems. A retail pharmacy internship also boosts one’s employment chances as a pharmacy assistant.
With relevant experience and formal education, the pharmacy aide's salary can gradually evolve. Some even become sales technicians. This can be achieved through excellence in the role of a pharmacy assistant and an eagerness to improve and promote your career.
To be successful as a pharmacy aide, it is important to have a strong grasp of the working language and a familiarity with pharmaceutical terminology. Some other skills of use are planning and organizational skills, customer assistance skills, database management, attention to detail and safety management.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- B.Pharm Pharmacy
- D.Pharma Pharmacy
Tasks
- Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.
- Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
- Greet customers and help them locate merchandise.
- Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
- Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
- Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.
- Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves.
- Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, or composing letters.
- Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.
- Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
Progression Routes
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