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Pharmacy Aides Occupation Detailed Description

Pharmacy Aides career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Pharmacy Aides

The main tasks and work activities of Pharmacy Aides are to control prescription refills or authorizations, inventory medical supplies or equipment, perform clerical work in medical settings, stock medical or patient care supplies. In general, for the Pharmacy Aides, active Listening, service Orientation, speaking, social Perceptiveness and other 5 skills are required.
Pharmacy Aides Job Description
EducationThese occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related ExperienceSome previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Pharmacy Aides jobs. 61.19% of Pharmacy Aides have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 18.21% of Pharmacy Aides have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
15.04%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
61.19%
Post-Secondary Certificate
18.21%
Some College Courses
5.56%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
0.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Pharmacy Aides

  • Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.
  • Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
  • Greet customers and help them locate merchandise.
  • Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
  • Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
  • Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.
  • Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves.
  • Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, or composing letters.
  • Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.
  • Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
  • Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.
  • Compound, package, and label pharmaceutical products, under direction of pharmacist.
  • Operate capsule or tablet counting machine that automatically distributes a certain number of capsules or tablets into smaller containers.
  • Calculate anticipated drug usage for a prescribed period.
  • Deliver medication to treatment areas, living units, residences, or clinics, using various means of transportation.
  • Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-of-date medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.
  • Provide customers with information about the uses, effects, or interactions of drugs.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or PeopleAssessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Assisting and Caring for OthersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Control prescription refills or authorizations.
  • Inventory medical supplies or equipment.
  • Perform clerical work in medical settings.
  • Stock medical or patient care supplies.
  • Maintain medical records.
  • Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
  • Clean medical equipment.
  • Process medical billing information.
  • Operate medical equipment.
  • Transport biological or other medical materials.
  • Explain technical medical information to patients.

Skills and Abilities for Pharmacy Aides

  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Finger DexterityThe ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Filling or sealing auger dose machinese.g. Automatic unit dose strip packaging machines
  • Tablet counterse.g. Capsule counting machines
  • Cash registerse.g. Cash registers
  • Magnetic stripe readers and encoderse.g. Credit card processing machines
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • HEPA filtered enclosurese.g. HEPA filtered biosafety cabinets
  • Label making machinese.g. Label printing machines
  • Laboratory blenders or emulsifierse.g. Laboratory blending or mixing equipment
  • Laminar flow cabinets or stationse.g. Laminar flow hoods
  • Laser printerse.g. Laser printers
  • Filling or sealing auger dose machinese.g. Liquid dose packaging machines
  • Special purpose telephonese.g. Multi-line telephone systems
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Filling or sealing auger dose machinese.g. Solid unit dose packaging machines
  • Tablet counterse.g. Tablet counting machines
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge 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 LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • ClericalKnowledge 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 MarketingKnowledge 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.