Career Profile: Pharmacy (Dispensing) Assistant

Pharmacy assistants (also known as dispensing assistants and medicines counter assistants) work in pharmacies in the community or in hospitals alongside pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, and reviewing medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. A pharmacy is where medicines are stored, prepared (labelled etc) and dispensed.  Pharmacy assistants work alongside pharmacy technicians, under the supervision of a registered pharmacist, in either a hospital or community setting and they help pharmacists and pharmacy technicians order, prepare and dispense medicines.

You may also be interested in further training and becoming a:

• Academic Pharmacist
• Community Pharmacist
• Hospital Pharmacist
• Industrial Pharmacist
• Mental Health (Psychiatric) Pharmacist

My Responsibilities

The range of duties is broad and varies depending on the post, but may include the following:

• taking in and handing out prescriptions
• operating the cash register
• giving patients information and educating them about their medications
• using computer systems to order stock (maintaining stock levels)
• receiving, loading, and unloading goods from wholesalers, manufacturers and elsewhere
• delivering pharmaceuticals and other goods to sites within a pharmacy department, and wards/departments/clinical areas (hospital)
• selling over-the-counter medicines
• answering queries on the supply and availability of medicines,
• responding to telephone and face-to-face enquiries of a routine nature from patients and customers
• bringing any problems identified or queries raised to the attention of pharmacists or pharmacy technicians
• pre-packing, assembling and labelling medicines
• preparing medicines 'aseptically' that is preparing medicines in a very clean environment using special techniques (hospital)
• ensuring that health and safety requirements are met

Required Skills

In order to be a good pharmacy assistant, you will need to have:

• good interpersonal skills
• the ability to read and carry out instructions
• the ability to pay attention to detail
• an interest in science and people’s health
• the ability to clearly explain instructions to customers
• the ability to work well within a team

Qualifications

In order to become a pharmacy assistant, you will need to have scored good grades in your GCSEs

• GCSEs at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) - some posts may require specific GCSE grades or (equivalent)

There are apprenticeships available to become a pharmacy assistant, just have a look on the government or NHS websites.

Training

You get trained to become a pharmacy assistant on the job, undertaking a level 2 dispensing course.

Work Experience

Previous experience working in a customer service role would be really useful for this career.

Employment

Employers of pharmacy assistants include:

• community pharmacies (on the high street or in supermarkets)
• NHS and private hospitals (in the NHS, pharmacy assistants start at band 2 and can reach band 3)
• primary care organisations
• pharmaceutical companies

Some pharmacy assistants may undertake locum roles where they are self-employed and work in short-term roles.

Salary

In NHS hospitals, band 2 pharmacy assistants can earn from £18,000 to just over £19,000. With experience, they can get to band 3 and earn just under £20,000 to just over £21,000.

Career Progression

With experience and undertaking the relevant qualifications, it is possible to progress to a senior pharmacy assistant role and onto trainee pharmacy technician roles.

Videos from a Pharmacy Assistant

 

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Contacts

The following organisations may be able to help provide you with further information:

General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Telephone: 0203 713 8000
E-mail: info@pharmacyregulation.org
Website: http://www.pharmacyregulation.org
Twitter: @TheGPhC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGPhC

National Pharmacy Association (NPA)

Telephone: 01727 858687
E-mail: npa@npa.co.uk
Website: http://www.npa.co.uk/
Twitter: @NPA1921
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Supportyourlocalpharmacy/

NHS Scotland Careers

Website: http://www.careers.nhs.scot
Website (2): https://jobs.scot.nhs.uk/
Twitter: @NHSScotCareers

Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland

Telephone: 0845 257 2570
E-mail: scotinfo@rpharms.com
Website: http://www.rpharms.com
Twitter: @rpharms
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/royalpharmsoc/

Videos from a Pharmacy Assistant