Pharmacy Assistants help licensed Pharmacists provide medication and other health care products to patients. Pharmacy Assistants usually perform routine tasks to help prepare prescribed medication, such as counting tablets and labelling bottles. They also perform administrative duties, such as answering phones, stocking shelves, and operating cash registers. Pharmacy Assistants refer any questions regarding prescriptions, drug information, or health matters to a pharmacist. CPR, First Aid and WHMIS will be completed during the program.
In large pharmacies and health-systems, pharmacy assistants with significant training, experience and certification can be promoted to supervisory positions, mentoring and training pharmacy assistants with less experience. Some may advance into specialty positions such as chemo therapy assistants and nuclear pharmacy assistants. Others move into sales. This program gives the student the necessary skills to be competitive in this exciting field.
This program includes practicum placement. This experience within a workplace enables Instructional staff to observe the student in a practice situation while providing the student with the opportunity to gain direct exposure to the chosen career field.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Assist licensed pharmacists in providing medication and other health care products to patients
- Perform tasks to help prepare prescribed medications, such as counting tablets and labelling bottles
- Perform administrative tasks such as answering phones, stocking shelves and receiving payments
