Pharmacy aides perform administrative duties in pharmacies. Aides often are clerks or cashiers who primarily answer telephones, handle money, stock shelves, and perform other clerical duties. They work closely with pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy technicians usually perform more complex tasks than do aides, although in some States the duties and titles of the jobs overlap.
Pharmacy aides may establish and maintain patient profiles, prepare insurance claim forms, and stock and take inventory of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Accurate recordkeeping is necessary to help avert dangerous drug interactions. In addition, because many people have medical insurance to help pay for prescriptions, it is essential that pharmacy aides correspond efficiently and correctly with third-party insurance providers to obtain payment. Pharmacy aides also maintain inventory and inform the supervisor of stock needs so that the pharmacy does not run out of vital medications that customers need. Some aides also help with the maintenance of equipment and supplies.
Work environment. Pharmacy aides work in clean, organized, well-lighted, and well-ventilated areas. Most of their workday is spent on their feet. They may be required to lift heavy boxes or to use stepladders to retrieve supplies from high shelves.
Aides work the same hours that pharmacists do. These include evenings, nights, weekends, and some holidays, particularly in facilities that are open 24 hours a day such as hospitals and some retail pharmacies.
| 1. | Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information. |
| 2. | Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary. |
| 3. | Prepare solid and liquid dosage medications for dispensing into bottles and unit dose packaging. |
| 4. | Greet customers and help them locate merchandise. |
| 5. | Unpack, sort, count and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration. |
| 6. | Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer. |
| 7. | Receive, store and inventory pharmaceutical supplies, notifying pharmacist when levels are low. |
| 8. | Operate cash register to process cash and credit sales. |
| 9. | Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves. |
| 10. | Perform clerical tasks such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, and composing letters. |
| 11. | Maintain and clean equipment, work areas and shelves. |
| 12. | Provide customers with information about the uses and effects of drugs. |
| 13. | Prepare, maintain and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases and deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats. |
| 14. | Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating co-payments. |
| 15. | Compound, package and label pharmaceutical products under direction of pharmacist. |
| 16. | Operate capsule and tablet counting machine that automatically distributes a certain number of capsules or tablets into smaller containers. |
| 17. | Calculate anticipated drug usage for a prescribed period. |
| 18. | Deliver medication to treatment areas, living units, residences and clinics, using various means of transportation. |
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