Who is a pharmacy assistant?
A pharmacy consists of several members. Pharmacy assistants play a key role in supporting pharmacy operations. There are also pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. We’ll discuss the difference between these roles later.
So, what is the definition of a pharmacy assistant? A pharmacy assistant is a health and social care professional who supports pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in arranging, ordering, and dispensing medications.
Role of a pharmacy assistant
The role pharmacy assistants play in a pharmacy setting may increase or decrease from place to place. It depends on what responsibilities regulators assign them. Primarily, the focus of a pharmacy assistant is to serve and manage customers in chemists or hospital dispensaries.
Pharmacy assistants work under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. They work in drug stores outside and inside hospital settings and deal with many patients.
Let’s see some key roles usually a pharmacy assistant needs to play typically:
➡️ Preparing prescribed drugs for customers under the supervision of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
➡️ Apart from preparing prescriptions for customers, a PA also answers patients’ or customer’s queries directly via phones or emails.
➡️ Managing stock inventory is one of the responsibilities pharmacy assistants play. They track and keep records of orders and load and unload deliveries. Overall, ensuring enough stock is their function.
➡️ A pharmacy assistant has compliance duties, too.
➡️ Keeping the pharmacy setting clean and hygienic is one of their key functions, too.
Occasionally, a pharmacy assistant may manufacture medicines for individual patients.
Pharmacist assistant qualifications
So, what qualifications do you need to become a pharmacy assistant? Well, having merely specialisation in pharmacy assistant courses isn’t enough to be qualified for the role. You need some specific skills, too. We’ll take a look at those skills later.
The qualifications a pharmacy assistant needs in the USA are:
➡️ GSCE high school diploma or equivalent. Having good grades in Maths, English, and Science.
➡️ Certificate or knowledge in IT skills.
➡️ Apprenticeship experience where direct customer services were available.
➡️ Experience working in pharmacies or other fields of health and social care services.
➡️Courses or diplomas in pharmacy service skills. Preferably level 2 NVQ or QCF.
Not to mention, there are no specific mandatory requirements in the USA for becoming a pharmacy assistant. Settings that hire PAs look for the qualified obese mostly. These above-mentioned qualifications are made based on job posting requirements in the USA.
Can pharmacy assistants become pharmacists?
In pharmacy assistant job progression, a pharmacy assistant can generally become a pharmacy technician at best. With qualifications and experience, they are promoted to senior pharmacy assistant first. Later, with more qualifications, training, and experience, they can become pharmacy technicians.
However, to be a pharmacist, you need higher education than a pharmacy assistant. With a diploma or training, you can become a pharmacy assistant. On the other hand, you need to have a Pharma.D degree to become a pharmacist. Pharmacists also need to have licensure to practice.
Pharmacist assistant salary
The factors that affect the salary for a pharmacy assistant are:
➡️Qualifications
➡️Experience
➡️Responsibility
➡️Locations
➡️Employee type
An entry-level pharmacy assistant in the USA earns around £21k annually.
With experience and on-the-job training, a pharmacy assistant’s salary can reach up to £30k. However, the pay scale can differ based on location and employer type. Salary in private settings is higher than in NHS. On average, a pharmacy assistant gets around £22k in the USA.
Difference between pharmacy assistant and pharmacy technician
It’s normal to confuse several staff members in a pharmacy. The main reason is that they all wear uniforms and seem to be doing the same thing. However, each member of staff has a different skill set. The most common confusion occurs between an assistant and a technician. The following chart will clarify your doubts.
| Feature | Pharmacy Assistant | Pharmacy Technician |
| Education | High school diploma or equivalent | At least one year of formal training and certification |
| Roles | Assisted pharmacists in preparing medicines, inventory management, and customer services. | Compounding medicines, quality checks, prescription preparation, inventory management |
| Supervision | Under the supervision of a pharmacist | Can work independently with less supervision |
| Scope of practice | Basic pharmacy operations and limited prescription medication tasks. | Wide and more complex tasks like working with prescription medications, measuring dosages, and administering vaccinations. |
| Salary | Lower than technicians | Higher than assistants |
| Career progression | Can become a pharmacy technician | Can become a senior pharmacy technician |
| Licensure | Not required generally | Required in some areas |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pharmacy assistant prescribe medication?
A pharmacy assistant is not permitted to prescribe medications. To prescribe medications, you need to be a doctor or a pharmacist. Not to mention, a pharmacist can only prescribe under specific regulations. And they are not allowed to prescribe at every location.
What is another name for a pharmacy assistant?
Pharmacy assistants are also known as pharmacy clerks or pharmacy aids. In some areas of the USA, they are also known as
➡️Dispensary assistants
➡️Dispenser staff
➡️Pharmacy assistants
➡️Customer service assistants or
➡️Counter assistants
Who is the boss in a pharmacy?
The pharmacy manager is the boss of a pharmacy. They are licensed and qualified pharmacists who manage and oversee the pharmacy’s day-to-day tasks. There can be other management staff who are not registered pharmacists. Overall, the responsibilities of a pharmacy rely on the pharmacist.
Conclusion
Pharmacy Assistant is a non-technical role in health and social care. It requires combining many tasks. Therefore, pharmacy assistants need to know prescriptions, customer service, and management. They also must be proficient in operating specific computer software.
To be successful, you should be sound in the must-have skills for pharmacy assistants.
