what is a pharmacy assistant?
As a pharmacy assistant, you work under the pharmacist in a capacity that best helps the pharmacy. You assist customers, find answers to their questions, manage their electronic health records, and process their prescriptions. You help them access treatments and medication to improve their well-being. Since you support licensed pharmacists, you oversee non-specialised daily operations in a pharmacy and ensure customers get the assistance they need.
Also known as pharmacy aides, pharmacy assistants perform clerical tasks and paperwork in the pharmacy. Clerical skills will help you complete administrative tasks associated with the role. You reorder and restock medications, receive deliveries, and operate the cash register. You deal with customers face-to-face and advise them on prescription medicines or health and beauty products.
Working as a pharmacy assistant is a customer-facing role since you are the first person customers interact with at the pharmacy. You require customer service skills to engage with customers and help them find the necessary medication. You also need pharmaceutical knowledge to recommend the right non-prescription medications and explain the correct use of drugs to customers.
pharmacy assistant jobsaverage pharmacy assistant salary
The average salary of a pharmacy assistant in Australia is $45,000 per year. When you join the role, your remuneration package is $40,000 annually. Experienced pharmacy assistants receive a salary of $50,000 yearly.
how to increase the remuneration of a pharmacy assistant
As a pharmacy assistant, your earnings depend on your experience and educational qualifications. When you have minimal experience, you start with an entry-level salary. However, as your experience and qualifications improve, your earnings also increase. Experienced pharmacy assistants earn more due to their expertise and qualifications.
Where you work also influences your remuneration package. For instance, the size of the hospital or pharmacy determines the amount you are likely to earn. When you work in a large hospital or pharmacy, you are likely to earn more than someone working in a smaller retail shop. Large pharmacies often have the resources to pay higher salaries.
When you work in metro areas, your remuneration is likely higher due to the high cost of living. Pharmacy assistants working in smaller cities earn less due to the lower cost of living.
Want to know what you will earn as a pharmacy assistant? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.
types of pharmacy assistants
Some of the types of pharmacy assistants include:
• clinical pharmacy assistants: as a clinical pharmacy assistant, you work in hospitals or medical facilities assisting pharmacists in their work. Your job is to dispense medication and help pharmacists with the distribution of drugs to patients in hospitals. You also record the drug dosages and delivery times to ensure accurate administration.
• community pharmacy assistants: as a community pharmacy assistant, you administer medication at pharmacy counters in retail shops. You work in communities, including mining communities, to provide over-the-counter medicines to patients. Your job is to administer medication prescribed by healthcare workers and to explain the dosage and side effects.
working as a pharmacy assistant
Pharmacy assistant is a fascinating profession that allows you to help people by administering the right dosage. Find out about pharmacy assistants' daily duties, responsibilities and career prospects.
-
pharmacy assistant job description
Some of the daily duties and responsibilities of pharmacy assistants include:
• greeting customers: as a pharmacy assistant, you are the first person that customers or patients interact with at the pharmacy. You greet customers, receive their prescriptions and pass them on to the pharmacist.
• providing medication: when the pharmacist reviews the prescription, you remove the medicine from the shelves and help with packaging. You prepare the specific quantities of the medication based on the doctor's instructions. If the customer doesn't have a prescription, you sell non-prescription drugs the pharmacist recommends. Every medication you administer is based on the pharmacist's instructions and guidance.
• advising customers on retail items and non-prescription medication: you sell non-prescription drugs and other retail products in the pharmacy. You also market and sell beauty products available in the pharmacy.
• educating customers on medication usage: as a pharmacy assistant, you are trained to inform patients of the quantity and method of administration of medicines. If the prescription instructions are unclear, you clarify with the pharmacist before dispensing the medication.
• cash handling: as a pharmacy assistant, you perform clerical tasks and help customers complete transactions. You prepare invoices and receipts and handle the payments at the pharmacy. You also prepare reports on the daily sales and the drugs administered throughout the day.
• stocking products: as a pharmacy assistant, you assist the pharmacy staff with stocking the shelves and arranging the drugs. You also check the supplies and ensure the required medicines are in stock.
-
work environment
As a pharmacy assistant, your work environment can be a standalone store, a larger retail store, a doctor's office, a hospital or a mining community. You are primarily on your feet during the workday and walk around the pharmacy to perform your tasks. You work with a small group of people, including at least one pharmacist, other pharmacy assistants, and some pharmacy technicians. Some people you serve during the workday could be unwell and need help with their prescriptions.
-
who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and industry, your colleagues might include nutritionists, pharmacists and pharmacy managers. You might also be working close to industrial pharmacists, dietitians, and other specialists that could consist of, but not be limited to, medical physicists, pharmacy technicians and chemists.
-
work schedule
Some pharmacies have regular daytime and evening working hours, while others are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pharmacies are usually open at weekends and outside regular working hours. This means you do not have a regular Monday to Friday 9-to-5 job schedule. You may have some regularity in your work schedule with full-time hours as a pharmacy assistant. However, a part-time schedule offers you more flexibility. In a 24-hour pharmacy, you may work second or third shifts (overnight). In some positions, you have irregular work hours.
-
job outlook
The need for pharmaceutical services is increasing annually. With the increased need for prescription medications, the demand for pharmacy assistants will continue to grow. Since consumers always need prescription medications, the pharmaceutical field is secure.
-
advantages of finding a pharmacy assistant job through randstad
Finding your pharmacy assistant job through Randstad provides essential advantages such as:
• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a pharmacy assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers every year thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.
education and skills
While formal education is not mandatory for pharmacy assistants, the following qualifications improve your prospects:
• educational qualifications: enrol for a Certificate II or III in community pharmacy at a registered training organisation. For additional qualification, consider enrolling for a Certificate IV in community pharmacy.
• experience: you can gain on-the-job experience without formal education. Work under a senior pharmacy assistant or a pharmacist to gain the necessary skills.
pharmacy assistant skills and competencies
Some of the qualities required in the role include:
• customer service skills: as a pharmacy assistant, you engage with customers directly. Hence, you require excellent customer service skills to handle customer concerns and resolve issues. With customer service skills, you make customers feel comfortable by welcoming them and responding to their questions.
• data entry abilities: your responsibility as a pharmacy assistant is to receive and confirm prescription orders. You also manage patients' files and keep track of digital orders. Data entry skills help you complete your administrative and clerical tasks effectively.
• communication skills: as a pharmacy assistant, you require adept communication skills for handling customers and staff. Being an empathetic and compassionate listener is crucial. It is also essential to be courteous when interacting with other healthcare professionals.
• attention to detail: medication needs to be dispensed accurately according to the dosage. Your attentiveness to detail when packaging drugs and medicine is crucial to avoid providing too many or too few drugs.
FAQs about working as a pharmacy assistant
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of pharmacy assistant.
-
what does a pharmacy assistant do?
A pharmacy assistant works to support the pharmacist and pharmacy technicians in a pharmacy—the roles you fulfil in the pharmacy range from clerical work to dispensing prescriptions. You are responsible for updating patient files, helping answer customer questions, and assisting customers with purchasing prescriptions. You also perform tasks like counting and reordering medications and restocking the pharmacy shelves. As an assistant, you are under the supervision of a pharmacist and perform tasks that help run the pharmacy smoothly.
-
what qualifications do you need to be a pharmacy assistant?
While you do not require medical or educational qualifications, consider enrolling for Certificate II or III in community pharmacy. The course equips you with the skills and medical knowledge necessary for the role.
-
how much do pharmacy assistants make per year?
A pharmacy assistant earns an average salary of $45,000 per year. The remuneration package ranges from $40,000 to $50,000 based on experience and educational qualifications. Your skills also influence the salary you earn in the role.
-
is being a pharmacy assistant a good career?
Working in the healthcare industry as a pharmacy assistant is a meaningful career where you help many people. If you enjoy interacting with different people, possess good attention to detail, and enjoy being organised, you will excel as a pharmacy assistant. Being a pharmacy assistant is an excellent career if you want to work with a small group of people and are motivated to impact the lives of other people every day.
-
what else should a pharmacy assistant know?
A pharmacy assistant needs basic computer skills and the ability to learn new electronic systems and processes. Some of your work is done 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.
-
how do I apply for a pharmacy assistant vacancy?
Applying for a pharmacy assistant job is straightforward: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.
