Summary

• Pharmacy assistants are usually employed in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacy chains, pharmaceutical manufacturers, long-term care facilities, etc.
• They usually work between 35 and 40 hours per week.
• Pharmacy assistants help maintain prescription records and inventories of medications and other pharmaceutical products.
• Edison College’s pharmacy assistant online program has courses such as Anatomy and Physiology, Community Pharmacy, Microsoft Office, etc.
• Some provinces have higher salaries, such as Alberta, where a pharmacy assistant can get a median salary of $24.56 per hour.
• Some of the skills that you need to be a successful pharmacy assistant are attention to detail, effective communication skills, a typing speed of 35 words per minute, the ability to work under stressful situations, etc.

Who are Pharmacy Assistants?

Pharmacy assistants basically assist pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in their day-to-day professional duties. They can provide help in maintaining patient files, filling in prescriptions, drug dispensing tasks, and numerous clerical tasks.

Pharmacy assistants are usually employed in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacy chains, pharmaceutical manufacturers, long-term care facilities, etc. They usually work between 35 and 40 hours per week. Pharmacy assistants work in different shifts, such as morning, evening, etc.

Some of their core duties are as follows:

• Evaluate prescriptions.
• Enter client information and medication details into databases.
• Assist pharmacists and other pharmacy employees in the preparation, packaging, and labeling of medicines.
• Assist in keeping inventory of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical products.
• Compound oral solutions, ointments, and creams.
• They may also process medical billing information.
• They can price and stock products on shelves.
• Pharmacy assistants also help maintain prescription records and inventories of medications and other pharmaceutical products.

How Can I Become a Pharmacy Assistant?

Most career colleges that offer a pharmacy assistant diploma require a high school certificate or its equivalent.

Some colleges also require proficiency in the English language at the time of admission, and for that, many colleges require a certain score on TOEFL or IELTS.

What do Pharmacy Assistants Study?

Pharmacy assistants study different courses related to pharmacy, anatomy, physiology, etc.

For instance, Edison College’s pharmacy assistant course in Canada has courses such as Anatomy and Physiology, Community Pharmacy, Microsoft Office, Pharmacy Software (Kroll), Principles of Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Capstone Career Prep and Pharmacy Math.

As you see, most of these courses are either directly related to the field of pharmacy or are taught to prepare students to work in hospitals and pharmacies to effectively perform their professional duties.

How much do Pharmacy Assistants earn in Canada?

The median wage for a pharmacy assistant in Canada is $20 per hour, according to the Government of Canada Job Bank.

However, some provinces have higher salaries, such as Alberta, where a pharmacy assistant can get a median salary of $24.56 per hour. Manitoba also offers a median wage of $21.17 per hour.

Pharmacy assistants are expected to face a moderate risk of labour shortage over the period of 2024-2033 at the national level in Canada, according to the Job Bank.

While the job prospects of pharmacy assistants over the next two years are good in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan. While the job prospects are moderate in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia.

What Skills make you a Good Pharmacy Assistant?

Every profession has some particular demands. Some of the skills that you need to become a successful pharmacy assistant are:

• Effective communication skills.
• Typing speed of 35 words per minute.
• Ability to work under stressful situations.
• Attention to detail.

Conclusion

Pharmacy assistant is one of those professions that are considered recession-proof. The reason is that the healthcare sector continues to retain jobs or even grow during the economic slowdown.

The demand for pharmacy assistants is also expected to remain high due to the growing and ageing population in Canada. The population of the country is not only expected to grow faster in the coming decades but also expected to see a significant increase in the old population that has higher healthcare requirements.

Both of these factors will help grow the demand for pharmacy assistants, as they play a crucial role in the functioning of clinics and hospitals.

Join the Pharmacy Assistant Diploma Program at Edison College

This Pharmacy Assistant Diploma Program is designed to prepare students with all the skills and knowledge they will require to become a professional pharmacy assistant. This pharmacy assistant program trains students with hands-on training to prepare them for exciting career opportunities.

This pharmacy assistant program is 100% online, so those who cannot attend in-person classes can avail themselves of this opportunity.

Upon completing this certification for pharmacy assistants in Canada, students will be eligible to work under the following job titles: pharmacy assistant, hospital pharmacy assistant, clinic pharmacy assistant, compounding pharmacy assistant, pharmacy distribution clerk, and many more.

If you have questions or concerns, you can contact us today to learn more about this program. 

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