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 Homepage

How to Become a Pharmacy Assistant: A Hands-on and Respected Job

To become a pharmacy assistant, you need skills in customer service and basic health knowledge. Although a formal qualification is not an entry requirement for a pharmacy assistant, prior training, like a Certificate III in Community Pharmacy (SIR30116), puts you in a stronger position to get a job.

Find out what a job as a pharmacy assistant entails, what the job market is like and what you can do to boost your chances of getting noticed by prospective employers.

pharmacy-assistant
  • Overview
  • How to Become
  • Pathways
  • Qualifications

Pharmacy assistant job description

info Where we source our data

Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.

That’s why we anonymously surveyed pharmacy assistants about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.

While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.

Pharmacy assistants work in retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, or other chemist organisations to provide retail assistance and support pharmacists. Dealing face-to-face with customers, they advise on health and beauty products, recommend non-prescription medicines, and handle transactions. Behind the scenes, pharmacy assistants also help pharmacists with prescription administration.

Tasks and responsibilities for a pharmacy assistant

Pharmacy assistant duties and responsibilities can include:

  • Opening and close the pharmacy
  • Setting up retail areas and stocking shelves in retail pharmacies
  • Serving customers and handling sales transactions
  • Providing basic health and beauty advice
  • Demonstrating and selling products and over-the-counter medicines
  • Referring to pharmacist for assistance with health advice out of your remit
  • Assisting in the pharmacy dispensary and with prescription medication administration processes

How to become a pharmacy assistant

You can take steps to make sure you are ready and confident in working within a pharmacy setting.
  1. Study

    Studying an accredited certificate qualification in community pharmacy services through a TAFE or registered training organisation gives you the skills you need to work in a pharmacy setting, provide basic medical advice and could open you up to more job opportunities.

  2. Get some work experience

    Once you have some training under your belt, applying for and working in an entry-level pharmacy assistant position gives you valuable on-the-job training and experience. Work experience could also lead to senior positions in the pharmacy.

Pathway options

info
Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.

A role as a pharmacy assistant could be a great entry point and open you up to further career opportunities once you have some experience. There are excellent resources on career pathways and training programs on the Pharmacy Guild of Australia‘s website.

Future career options:

Junior

  • Pharmacy assistant

    Most common qualification: Certificate II in Community Pharmacy (SIR20116)

  • Pharmacy sales assistant

    Most common qualification: Certificate II in Community Pharmacy (SIR20116)

  • Pharmacy technician

    Most common qualification: Certificate II in Community Pharmacy (SIR20116)

Mid

  • Dispensary technician

    Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Community Pharmacy Dispensary (SIR40216)

  • Pharmaceutical production leading hand

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (FBP30818)

Senior

  • Pharmacy manager

    Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Community Pharmacy (SIR40116)

  • Pharmaceutical production supervisor

    Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (FBP40518)

Explore related qualifications

Certificate III in Community Pharmacy

This qualification provides the skills and knowledge to work as a pharmacy assistant who uses a well-developed range of services to meet customer needs. They have a broader understanding of all areas in the pharmacy, including products and health care support services. These pharmacy assistants work with more independence but ultimately are under the supervision of a pharmacist and may be involved in a limited range of dispensary assistant activities. 

The delivery of this course can be on campus, online or completed as a traineeship in the workplace. The average duration of this course is nine months, can be part-time or full-time, and eligible students may receive a government-funded subsidy.

*All Pharmacy assistants must comply with federal, state or territory law and Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines for supplying scheduled medicines.

Read More

Related subjects

A role in assisting people in finding what they need, or caring for their health, is not limited to the pharmacy. Plenty of other industries that help people are singing out for more enthusiastic workers and team players.

Some other subjects to explore:  

Allied Health
Allied Health
Health
Health
Health Science
Health Science
Pharmacy
Pharmacy

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Reviews

info How we collect reviews

Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.

Is this your job title?

Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.

Leave a Review

  • All
  • Positive
  • Negative
Jenny
Sep 05 2021

Get to talk to people.

What are the best parts of the job?

Communicating actively with people and forming new bonds and friendship with both colleagues and customers.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

The job consists of long hours where I am always standing, which can be physically tolling.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 0-4 employees
Anika
Sep 05 2021

Flexible but also long hours.

What are the best parts of the job?

Being a pharmacy assistant is a great role that offers a lot of flexibility such as the days you work.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

There isn't enough staff to cover the amount of hours at my pharmacy. All of my shifts consist of long hours and I do overtime almost every week.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Specialisation Diabetes management
Kelly
Sep 05 2021

I like helping customers who appreciate me doing so.

What are the best parts of the job?

Customers that are appreciative of my help is the best part of my job.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Being in a tight situation and not knowing what to do. You need to be able to problem solve and think quickly.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 5-19 employees
Krey
Sep 07 2021

Love helping customers.

What are the best parts of the job?

Seeing the look on a satisfied customer's face after I have spent time helping them.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Dealing with angry customers and trying to diffuse tense situations.

Read More
Qualification Graduate certificate
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 5-19 employees
Katie
Sep 07 2021

Helping people quickly and efficiently.

What are the best parts of the job?

I help people pick up their medicines and follow doctor's prescriptions, which I find fun and interesting.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Must do quickly and precisely, even in busy, high-demand hours.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Stuart
Sep 08 2021

Mentally stimulating.

What are the best parts of the job?

Being a pharmacy assistant involves a lot of problem-solving and thinking critically, which I enjoy.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Gaining experience through learning new tasks can be a bit of a challenge.

Read More
Qualification Professional doctorate
Experience 10+
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Robbie
Sep 08 2021

Need to have time management skills, but a fun, social job.

What are the best parts of the job?

A primarily social role where I am able to communicate with other people.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Getting work done on time and to an accpetable standard.

Read More
Qualification Professional doctorate
Experience 10+
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Ennamarie
Sep 08 2021

Rewarding to improve the lives of others.

What are the best parts of the job?

Helping sick patients get better and improve their lives.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Diagnosing patients who are unsure of their symptoms, as it's often very hard to help them.

Read More
Qualification Cert IV
Experience 10+
Organisation size 5-19 employees
Brooke
Sep 08 2021

I enjoy the busy environment.

What are the best parts of the job?

When it’s busy. I enjoy a fast-paced environment since time flies by.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Decision making and problem solving in difficult situations.

Read More
Qualification Certificate (nonaccredited)
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 5-19 employees
Alyssa
Sep 09 2021

Once you have the knowledge, helping people is easy.

What are the best parts of the job?

Helping people and providing them with the answers to any questions or concerns they may have.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Having the knowledge in order to confidently and properly help people.

Read More
Qualification Certificate (nonaccredited)
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 20-199 employees
1 2 3 4
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