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Pharmacy Aide

What Does it Take to Be a Pharmacy Aide?

Pharmacy Aide Job Description Record drugs delivered to the pharmacy, store incoming merchandise, and inform the supervisor of stock needs. May operate cash register and accept prescriptions for filling.

A Day in the Life of a Pharmacy Aide

  • Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, or composing letters.
  • Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.
  • Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.
  • Operate capsule or tablet counting machine that automatically distributes a certain number of capsules or tablets into smaller containers.
  • Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
  • Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-dated medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Pharmacy Aide?

Below is a list of the skills most Pharmacy Aides say are important on the job.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Types of Pharmacy Aide

  • Pharmacy Assistant
  • Pharmacy Ancillary
  • Certified Pharmacist Assistant
  • Pharmacy Helper
  • Drug Purchaser

Job Demand for Pharmacy Aides

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 36,900 jobs in the United States for Pharmacy Aide. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Pharmacy Aide. The BLS estimates 4,700 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Pharmacy Aide are Alaska, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Oklahoma, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Pharmacy Aides Make A Lot Of Money?

Pharmacy Aides make between $19,370 and $44,450 a year.

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Pharmacy Aides who work in Alaska, Colorado, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Pharmacy Aides in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $21,700
Alaska $45,850
Arizona $38,500
Arkansas $25,330
California $33,730
Colorado $39,840
Connecticut $31,460
Delaware $29,990
Florida $29,420
Georgia $28,000
Hawaii $34,180
Idaho $29,780
Illinois $29,760
Indiana $24,470
Iowa $26,260
Kansas $23,630
Kentucky $23,740
Louisiana $24,400
Maine $26,800
Maryland $30,130
Massachusetts $35,630
Michigan $27,690
Minnesota $28,190
Mississippi $27,060
Missouri $27,260
Montana $29,580
Nebraska $27,950
Nevada $27,980
New Hampshire $27,180
New Jersey $25,490
New Mexico $29,970
New York $31,450
North Carolina $24,760
North Dakota $30,940
Ohio $28,090
Oklahoma $24,400
Oregon $32,990
Pennsylvania $24,660
Rhode Island $31,150
South Carolina $24,940
South Dakota $24,390
Tennessee $25,200
Texas $25,910
Utah $36,120
Vermont $24,320
Virginia $24,020
Washington $32,990
West Virginia $23,360
Wisconsin $24,140

Tools & Technologies Used by Pharmacy Aides

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Pharmacy Aides:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Word processing software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Database software

Becoming a Pharmacy Aide

Learn what Pharmacy Aide education requirements there are.

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What work experience do I need to become a Pharmacy Aide?

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Who Employs Pharmacy Aides?

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Pharmacy Aides work in the following industries:

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those who work as a Pharmacy Aide sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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