Overview
Key pharmacy assistant duties and responsibilities include dispensing prescriptions, medication inventory management, record keeping, and collaboration with other clinical teams. Pharmacy assistants may be based in a community pharmacy setting, a GP surgery, or a hospital pharmacy environment.
Potential career progression opportunities for a pharmacy assistant include team leader positions, as well as the opportunity to complete further training to become a pharmacy technician.
What is a pharmacy assistant?
A pharmacy assistant is a type of healthcare professional who’s responsible for preparing medications and dispensing prescriptions to patients, under the supervision of a qualified pharmacist. A pharmacy assistant or dispensing assistant is not a pharmacist, but they can provide invaluable support in community, GP practice, and hospital pharmacy settings.
What does a pharmacy assistant do?
Pharmacy assistants work alongside pharmacists to prepare prescriptions, before dispensing them to patients with information on potential side effects or interactions, and advice on how and when to take the medication. Pharmacy dispensing assistants also play a key role in inventory management, maintaining accurate records, and prioritising patient safety. Day-to-day, a pharmacy assistant will work alongside qualified pharmacists, as well as other clinical teams responsible for a patient’s care.
Hospital pharmacy assistant duties and responsibilities
In a hospital pharmacy setting, a assistant’s duties and responsibilities will include the following:
1. Dispensing prescriptions
One of the primary responsibilities of a pharmacy assistant in a hospital setting is to measure, prepare, package and label medications for inpatients, outpatients, and those being discharged. By working alongside pharmacists, assistants help to ease their workload and dispense prescriptions to patients directly.
2. Dispensing medication advice
Alongside dispensing medication, hospital assistants are also responsible for advising patients on recommended dosage, administration method and frequency, as well as any potential side effects or interactions.
3. Maintaining records
Pharmacy assistants play a key role in updating and maintaining accurate medication records to ensure patient safety, and ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements. It’s important for every pharmacy to have a thorough record of medication dispensed to support safety, as well as inventory management.
4. Inventory management
Medication inventory management is another duty of pharmacy assistants, who are responsible for keeping a record of incoming and outgoing products to support stock control. Hospital pharmacies typically have a much larger stock of medicines than community pharmacy settings, so this is a key responsibility for hospital-based assistants.
5. Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams
Hospital pharmacy assistants will be required to collaborate and work alongside multiple clinical teams responsible for different aspects of a patient’s care. Clear communication and teamwork skills are therefore essential in this role.
6. Regulatory compliance
Pharmacy assistants must ensure compliance with regulatory standards, and with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC’s) pharmacy standards , which outline requirements for safe and effective pharmacy practice.
How to become a pharmacy assistant
You don’t need a degree to become a pharmacy assistant, but you do need to have certain qualifications, including GCSEs and a relevant pharmacy certificate or diploma. There are also soft skills that are beneficial in this role.
Training and qualifications
To become a pharmacy assistant, you’ll need the following training and qualifications:
- GCSEs: pharmacy assistants must have GCSEs in English, Maths and Science as a minimum
- GPhC-approved certificate or diploma: relevant pharmacy-specific training is also required, such as the Level 2 Certificate or Level 3 Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills
- Apprenticeship (optional): some pharmacies offer Pharmacy Services Assistant Apprenticeship courses, providing the opportunity for on-the-job training, while you work towards a qualification
- Practical experience: gaining experience in a pharmacy setting in an assistant role during your training will stand you in good stead when applying for dispensing positions
Desired pharmacy assistant skills
Pharmacy assistants require a broad skillset of both role-specific and ‘soft’ skills. Desirable traits for people considering this career include:
- Good organisational skills
- Basic understanding of medical terminology, including abbreviations
- Solid understanding of pharmaceuticals, potential side effects, and drug interactions
- Good mathematical skills to support dosage calculations
- Strong attention to detail and an eye for accuracy to avoid medication errors
- Good communication skills
- Teamwork and collaboration skills
- Customer service experience, as this is a patient-facing role
- Ability to juggle priorities
- Competent IT skills to support record keeping and inventory management
- Understanding of GPhC pharmacy standards, and regulatory requirements
Pharmacy assistant FAQs
Is a pharmacy assistant a pharmacist?
No, pharmacy assistants are not pharmacists; assistants work under the supervision of qualified pharmacists to prepare and dispense medications. Pharmacy assistants are not required to undertake an MPharm degree, and they are required to defer to pharmacists when asked for clinical advice.
How much does a pharmacy assistant get paid?
Pharmacy assistants in the UK can expect to earn from £22,000 to £29,000 per year, depending on experience. According to data from Indeed , the average hourly rate for a pharmacy assistant comes in at £12.88, but salaries will vary depending on location and experience.
What does career progression look like for a pharmacy assistant?
There are multiple career progression opportunities available to pharmacy assistants. By gaining experience, a assistant can gain seniority and take on a team leader or supervisor position. With additional training, pharmacy assistants could also work towards becoming a pharmacy technician, a role that offers more responsibility and the opportunity to dispense clinical advice.
Pharmacy assistant vs technician: what’s the difference?
There are some similarities between the role of a pharmacy assistant and a pharmacy technician, with both working in pharmacy settings, and both handling prescriptions. However, assistants tend to focus primarily on preparing and dispensing medications, whereas pharmacy technicians can have broader responsibilities, including offering healthcare advice and providing patients with up-to-date guidance on medication. Pharmacy technicians also need to register with the GPhC, but pharmacy assistants aren’t currently required to.
Join UKCPA for support throughout your pharmacy dispensing career
Pharmacy technicians and assistants can join UKCPA for less than £3 per week to access ongoing support throughout their careers. Become a member to access:
- Peer-submitted resources to enhance your knowledge
- Discussion forums, where you can chat through more specific topics and share advice with fellow healthcare professionals
- Expert-led education and training to support your ongoing professional development
- A busy calendar of events, including online discussions and in-person networking opportunities
- Dedicated communities, focused on different pharmacy specialisms to expand your knowledge further
