What do we need to know about the pharmacy assistant?

The pharmacy assistant is the one who assists the licensed pharmacist in preparing and dispensing medications for the patient. They also perform the over-the-counter selling of drugs, and approach you when entering a retail pharmacy. Pharmacy assistants can work in pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, care facilities, and in the pharmaceutical industry.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a pharmacy assistant?

Under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, they can dispense medicine. Check the prescriptions carefully and corroborate the dose is correct (and also make sure that it is a doctor’s prescription and not a fake one) Explain to patients how to take the medicines safely and most efficiently, solving their doubts and questions.

What are the qualifications to become a pharmacy assistant?

How much is the salary of a pharmacy assistant?

Based on Wage order no. NCR-22, the minimum wage of a retail/service establishment will be 500.00 pesos a day. And usually, a pharmacy assistant works 8 hours a day for 26 days, and this can include shifts.

Test your knowledge

Question 1. Under whose supervision must pharmacy assistants dispense medicine?
  • A pharmacy technician
  • A licensed pharmacist
  • A pharmacy manager
  • A senior pharmacy assistant
Question 2. What inventory management method is mentioned for pharmacy assistants to practice when dispensing?
  • LIFO method
  • FIFO method
  • ABC method
  • JIT method
Question 3. What is the minimum educational qualification mentioned for becoming a pharmacy assistant?
  • High school diploma only
  • At least GCSEs and a bachelor's/college degree
  • Associate degree only
  • No specific educational requirements
Question 4. What is the minimum work experience preferably required for pharmacy assistants?
  • Six months experience
  • At least one year working experience
  • Two years experience
  • No experience required
Question 5. In which of the following settings can pharmacy assistants work according to the article?
  • Only in retail pharmacies
  • Pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, care facilities, and pharmaceutical industry
  • Only in hospitals
  • Only in pharmaceutical manufacturing

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How we reviewed this article

Our experts continually monitor the medical science space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current version
Jun 30, 2023

Copy edited by:

Copy editors
Aug 21, 2020

Reviewed by:

Elizabeth Gonzalez Cueto
Aug 19, 2020

Written by:

Raylyn Zapata