Pharmacy Clerk Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides in-depth information on the pharmacy clerk job description, to boost your knowledge of the work they do.

It highlights the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities that commonly define the pharmacy clerk work description.

It also presents the major requirements you may be expected to meet to be hired for the pharmacy clerk role by most companies.

What Does a Pharmacy Clerk Do?

The pharmacy clerk job description entails receiving, issuing, and dispensing prescription drugs to patients.

It also includes recording orders for prescription medications using a computerized inventory system.

The computer reports any shortage of drug supplies or expired medications.

Pharmacy clerks review patients’ medical history and check for any previous side effects from drug treatments or allergies to medications that might have been recorded in the pharmacy’s computer system.

They also verify information such as name and address, insurance approval, allergy, and drug history of the patient in order to receive proper authorization for filling a prescription.

The pharmacy clerk role also involves conducting drug therapy to patients who require medical care or support.

It also entails stocking medicine, chemicals, and other supplies required by patients after purchasing medicines from the pharmaceutical company or doctor’s office.

Pharmacy clerks also assist the pharmacists in maintaining the stock level at optimum levels for an efficient operation on daily basis.

They act as a sales agent for the pharmaceutical industry and ensure that patients are fully aware of the available drugs and their prices.

The pharmacy clerk duties involves promoting products, such as vitamins, nutritional supplements, and cosmetics.

They instruct new customers on taking their medication.

Pharmacy clerks are also responsible for conducting inventories and maintaining records of medications purchased from the pharmaceutical industry on a daily basis in order to prevent any form of fraud.

More on Pharmacy Clerk Job Description

They handle mail orders or other forms of sales enquiries as they are familiar with most pharmaceutical products available in the market.

Pharmacy clerks conduct regular drug tests using clinical tests kits at different intervals in order to ensure that patients are receiving proper treatment and are not allergic to any drug substance being administered.

They act as mediator when there is an issue of patient relations with the pharmacist concerning some prescription drugs purchased from the pharmaceutical company.

Furthermore, they assist in attending pharmacy inspections and maintain records of complaints about the pharmacy operations when necessary.

For instance, when there has been an illegal sale of prescription drugs or faulty operation of the pharmacy equipment in case of breach.

Pharmacy Clerk Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The pharmacy clerk job description entails the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Observes aseptic technique among others
• Takes responsibility for the safety of drugs and combines them properly with other labeling media before dispensing or packaging them for transport to the distribution center or store, etc.
• Prepares drugs and other items for dosing according to orders from physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers
• Operates a computerized point-of-sale system and uses other computer systems to enter information into those computers. This includes pharmacy software programs (e.g., EPISYS)
• Receives and validates incoming prescription deliveries by patients or patients’ authorized representatives (e.g. visitors or home health agencies)
• Records and maintains records of inventory, drug sales, and other transactions using the computerized point-of-sale system
• Calculates drug dosages and prepares some prescriptions for dosing by the staff pharmacist after reviewing requirements for a specific patient. For example, health history and medical tests
• Operates automated systems that examine and identify prescription medications. This is to check for potential dangerous interactions with other medications already in the patient’s system (e.g., DURScript)
• Answers customer questions and gives customers advice on how to take their medicines
• Performs clerical tasks and those associated with the maintenance of the pharmacy. This is in accordance with designated procedures (e.g., clean and stock shelves, prepare incoming shipments)
• Serves as a member of a team that provides pharmaceutical care to patients with special needs (e.g., geriatric or pediatric population)
• Gathers and prepares patients’ basic medical records after patients are discharged, and receives follow-up calls from physicians and other health care providers. This is to provide pharmacies with the information needed to fill prescriptions.

Pharmacy Clerk Job Description for Resume

If you have worked before in the role of a pharmacy clerk or are presently working in that position and are making a resume or CV for a new job, you can effectively express that experience in the Professional Experience section of your resume by applying the above sample pharmacy clerk job description.

The job description example above provides the duties and responsibilities of a pharmacy clerk that you can highlight in your resume’s Professional Experience section to show that you have been successful performing the functions and obligations of a pharmacy clerk.

This piece of information in your resume can greatly influence the recruiter/employer to grant you an interview and hire you, especially if the new job that you are applying for requires some experience as a pharmacy clerk to succeed in it.

Pharmacy Clerk Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

If you are seeking the job of a pharmacy clerk, here are major requirements most employers will want you to meet to be hired:

• Pharmacy clerks should have high school diploma or equivalent
• In most states, a registration is required to become a pharmacy clerk, especially when one intends to dispense prescription drugs to customers
• The legal age required to become a pharmacy clerk depends on the state of residence in which you apply for employment. Some states require candidates to be at least eighteen years old while others require candidates to be 21 or older before they can work as an employee of the state or private sector
• The training required to become a pharmacy clerk can be either to be obtained on the job or via a vocational training center or university
• To become a pharmacy clerk requires training in such areas as: basic computer skills, inventory control, management, and clerical skills.
• Pharmacy clerks who have obtained their training at a vocational school need to have them take one-year paid apprenticeship before they become workers in their field.
• A university-trained pharmacy clerk need to undergo one-year practical training in a pharmacy before they get the required license to work as pharmacy clerks.

Pharmacy Clerk Salary

The average yearly compensation for pharmacy clerks in the United States is $29,447, according to Comparably.com.

Pharmacist Clerk Career Advancement

If you are thinking of taking your career higher from where you are now as a pharmacist clerk, it is very possible to do so.

You have a whole lot of exciting and rewarding careers that you can pursue with your background and experience working as a pharmacist clerk; you only need to be prepared to take some specific training to get you qualified for the higher positions.

Now, here are some of the major careers you can get into from being a pharmacist clerk:

• Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians are responsible for ensuring that the right medications are packed for the right customer, and that prescriptions are accurately filled with the right dosage. Learn more of what pharmacy technicians do.

• Pharmacy Cashier

Pharmacy cashiers are majorly responsible for taking and processing payments for goods and services purchased by customers at the pharmacy. Learn more of what pharmacy cashiers do.

• Pharmacy Internship

The pharmacy internship position gives individuals the opportunity to get trained on the job so that they can acquire the desired experience for higher job positions.

• Medical Customer Service Representative

A medical customer service representative performs various functions, including processing customers’ order and resolving their complaints. Learn more of what medical customer service representatives do.

• Sales Associate

The sales associate helps customers in finding products in the store and making their shopping experience awesome. Learn more of what sales associates do.

• Medical Office Receptionist

Medical office receptionists answer phones, receive visitors, and perform administrative duties. Learn more of what medical office receptionists do.

More Pharmacy Clerk Career Opportunities

• Medical Administrative Assistant

A medical administrative assistant performs clerical and administrative tasks, including sorting and distributing mails, answering phone calls, and organizing office activities. Learn more of what medical administrative assistants do. 

• Pharmacist

Pharmacists perform various duties depending on where they work, including compounding and dispensing prescription medications to patients. Learn more of what pharmacists do.

• Certified Nursing Assistant

The certified nursing assistant’s duties include monitoring patients’ vital body signs for normalcy, such as weight and temperature. Learn more of what certified nursing assistants do.   

• Medical Office Manager

Medical office managers provide good organization of office operations and procedures to ensure smooth running of the office daily.

• Home Health Aid

The home health aide provides assistance and personal care to patients according to the plan they subscribed to. Learn more of what home health aides do.

Conclusion

The pharmacy clerk is one of the most important people among all employees at any type of pharmacy.

They have the responsibility of ensuring that patients take their medicines as prescribed and in good time.

This post is helpful to individuals seeking the pharmacy clerk career; they can boost their knowledge of what the job entails.

It is also useful to employers/recruiters who want to make a new and detailed job description for the pharmacy clerk role in their organization.