Pharmacy Aides
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $20K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $24K
Median Salary: $29K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $36K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $50K
Demand
Core Tasks
Greet customers and help them locate merchandise.
Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.
Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.
Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
Compound, package, and label pharmaceutical products, under direction of pharmacist.
Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.
Provide customers with information about the uses, effects, or interactions of drugs.
Calculate anticipated drug usage for a prescribed period.
Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-of-date medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.
Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves.
Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, or composing letters.
Deliver medication to treatment areas, living units, residences, or clinics, using various means of transportation.
Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.
Operate capsule or tablet counting machine that automatically distributes a certain number of capsules or tablets into smaller containers.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
96%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
68%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Clerical
62%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Sales and Marketing
61%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Law and Government
59%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Administration and Management
58%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics
58%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Medicine and Dentistry
52%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Public Safety and Security
49%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Computers and Electronics
47%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
70%
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.
Service Orientation
68%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking
68%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
65%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness
65%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
60%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking
60%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
60%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning
58%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving
55%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
70%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
70%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Near Vision
68%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition
68%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Problem Sensitivity
65%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Written Comprehension
65%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering
63%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Category Flexibility
60%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning
60%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Top 10 Work Activities
Interacting With Computers
91%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
88%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Getting Information
87%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
84%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Assisting and Caring for Others
82%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
82%
Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
81%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
81%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
80%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
78%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Detailed Work Activities
Inventory medical supplies or equipment.
Control prescription refills or authorizations.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Stock medical or patient care supplies.
Maintain medical records.
Clean medical equipment.
Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
Explain technical medical information to patients.
Process medical billing information.
Operate medical equipment.
Transport biological or other medical materials.
Work Context
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Education
Interests
Conventional
100%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
67%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising
48%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social
48%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
39%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
15%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
93%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self Control
91%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation
86%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attention to Detail
84%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Stress Tolerance
80%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Dependability
79%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Social Orientation
78%
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility
75%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others
75%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Initiative
72%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Work Values
Relationships
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions
34%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
