Pharmacy assistants are typically responsible for the administrative tasks associated with running a pharmacy. These tasks include counting medication, labeling bottles, stocking pharmacy shelves, answering customer phone calls, and managing the cash register.
What is the role of pharmacy assistant?
Pharmacy assistants are responsible for assisting licensed pharmacists with the duties associated with the day-to-day operations of a pharmacy. You might work at a retail pharmacy, a hospital pharmacy, or a clinic pharmacy. In most cases, pharmacy assistants are:
Provide general support with the tasks that occur everyday in the pharmacy.
Accept prescriptions in person and over the phone from customers of the pharmacy. Prepare medications by following instructions for dosing and measuring. Prepare the drug by packaging, labeling, and dispensing it.
Conduct an inventory check and replenish the various supplies, including the medications. Be sure to toss out any medication that has outlived its usefulness. Assist the consumer in locating the item they require, or refer them to the pharmacist for more assistance.
What do you call pharmacy assistants?
The profession of a pharmacist is a very active and demanding one. They are responsible for handling the purchasing process, filling prescriptions, and a wide variety of other activities while working in a large pharmacy. Both pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians play significant roles in the day-to-day operational management of pharmacies.
Pharmacy technician schools in New York City can prepare you for the duties that come with a technician career, provided that you are ready to seek more education and certification and have the ability to do so.
The responsibilities and pay for these two positions are very different from one another. To assist you in making a decision on which pharmacy school in New York City to attend or which program to select, we have included an overview of what each option includes.
Assistant in the Pharmacy You will normally take on a more junior job when you work in a pharmacy as an assistant. Assistants typically take care of administrative responsibilities and are sometimes referred to as pharmacy clerks or aides.
You can get hired for this position as soon as you graduate from high school. There is a high likelihood that pharmacists will be willing to give on-the-job training, or staff with more seniority may be able to act as mentors to you as you gain knowledge.
- It’s possible that the work experience you gain in an entry-level position can be useful to you in future pursuits at pharmacy technician colleges in New York City, where students pursue qualifications;
You may be expected to undertake the following tasks if you have the role of an assistant:
Meeting and greeting customers. Taking calls at the moment Taking in and recording payments Stocking shelves Making medical labels via typing Providing assistance in the search for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals Managing patient files Making orders for supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals Monitoring the stock of items Arranging/packaging shipments Setting up appointments for consumers with the pharmacists
In 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States of America reported that the annual compensation for a pharmacy assistant might range anywhere from $16,810 to $32,790.
- The greatest earnings were offered to assistants working in outpatient treatment clinics, notably in the more populous areas of the states of California, Texas, New York, and Florida;
- Pharmacy Technician Your preparation for a more engaged job begins with the coursework that leads to the NYC pharmacy technician certification;
At this stage, you could be responsible for clerical work, but you’ll be more involved in the process of filling prescriptions. This indicates that you will:
Check the information provided by customers on the prescription forms. Enter data into a computerized database Medications must be prepared for the patients.
- Prepare the packaging and labels for the patient’s medication.
Throughout the entire process, a pharmacist will be monitoring and advising you on your progress; - Students in New York City who are just starting out in the field often attend a pharmacy school where they may hone their abilities, however some employers also offer on-the-job training;
Formal instruction is necessary, and depending on the state in which you reside, this training can be obtained at a community college or a vocational school. Additional responsibilities at work may include the following:
Taking money from paying customers Dealing with insurance claims processing Taking and making phone calls Keeping a record of inventories Calculating dosages in accordance with prescriptions Providing notice to pharmacists about dwindling supplies Discussing potential adverse medication reactions and drug interactions with pharmacists Discussing refills with the attending physicians Operating automated drug dispensing apparatus
Candidates in New York City can choose from a variety of pharmacy technician programs, each of which can take anywhere from six months to two years to complete.
- However, the length of the training required varies depending on the program;
- For instance, ABC Training Center provides a course that may be completed in either four weeks (if it is attended during the week) or eight weeks (if it is attended on weekends) (on a weeknight schedule);
If you choose one of these paths, you may continue your education despite the fact that you have other responsibilities, such as employment and family. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacy technicians made a median pay of $30,920 in 2016, with earnings ranging from $25,170 to $37,780.
- However, the average compensation was $30,920;
- Technicians who are hired by the government have the potential to earn even higher incomes, but technicians who work in health and personal care businesses often receive salaries at the lower end of the range;
Training for Pharmacy Technicians offered by the ABC Training Center in New York City It is not necessary to have the qualifications of a physician or even those of a certified pharmacist in order to operate in the field of pharmacy technology. However, in order to be successful in this cutthroat industry, specialist training is necessary.
- In New York City, at the ABC Training Center, you may take a course that will prepare you to take the national certification test necessary to become a pharmacy technician;
- This means that NYC is the ideal location for anybody interested in pursuing this career path;
You may sign up right now by calling us at (718) 364-6700 or registering online.
What is difference between pharmacy technician and pharmacy assistant?
How Does the Role of a Pharmacy Technician Differ from That of a Pharmacy Assistant? – The day-to-day operations of a pharmacy are handled by pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians so that pharmacists may concentrate their time to providing patient care services and answering inquiries about pharmaceutical products.
Pharmacy assistants are responsible for secretarial tasks including conducting transactions, stocking shelves, and answering phone calls, whereas pharmacy technicians have more advanced clinical responsibilities than pharmacy assistants.
Pharmacy personnel take patients’ vital signs and weigh drugs before processing their orders. The requirement to obtain a license is another significant distinction between the two professions. It is common for states to mandate that pharmacy technicians obtain a license, which necessitates both the successful completion of an examination and of a program that has been granted accreditation by either the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) or the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
There is a body in every state that is in charge of regulating the licensing of pharmacy technicians. Even if licensing is not mandated by the state in which they work or the drugstore itself, pharmacy technicians frequently get certification via the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
The majority of pharmacies need simply a high school diploma or a GED certificate from pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants. According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), entry-level pharmacy technicians may need a degree that is two years long in the future since the job will involve advanced clinical tasks.