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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.
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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.
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.
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.
What work experience do I need to become a Pharmacy Aide?
Who Employs Pharmacy Aides?
Pharmacy Aides work in the following industries:
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those who work as a Pharmacy Aide sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.