Example Career: Pharmacy Aides

Career Description

Record drugs delivered to the pharmacy, store incoming merchandise, and inform the supervisor of stock needs. May operate cash register and accept prescriptions for filling.

What Job Titles Pharmacy Aides Might Have

• Certified Pharmacist Assistant
• Pharmacy Aide
• Pharmacy Assistant
• Pharmacy Clerk

What Pharmacy Aides Do

• Greet customers and help them locate merchandise.
• Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.
• Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.
• Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
• Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-dated medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.
• Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
• Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves.
• Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.
• Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
• Compound, package, and label pharmaceutical products, under direction of pharmacist.
• Provide customers with information about the uses, effects, or interactions of drugs.
• Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.
• Calculate anticipated drug usage for a prescribed period.
• Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, or composing letters.
• Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
• Deliver medication to treatment areas, living units, residences, or clinics, using various means of transportation.
• Operate capsule or tablet counting machine that automatically distributes a certain number of capsules or tablets into smaller containers.

What Pharmacy Aides Should Be Good At

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Pharmacy Aides Should Be Interested In

• Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

What Pharmacy Aides Need to Learn

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.