Pharmacy Assistant

PHARMACY ASSISTANT – JOB DESCRIPTIONDepartment: Pharmacy

Position: Pharmacy Assistant

Reporting To: Pharmacy In-Charge / Chief Pharmacist

Duty: Full-Time – Rotational Shifts

Shift Pattern: Morning / Evening / Night / General / Emergency Duty

Experience: Minimum 1–2 years of relevant hospital pharmacy experience preferred

1. JOB SUMMARYThe Pharmacy Assistant is responsible for supporting the Pharmacist and Pharmacy In-Charge in the day-to-day operations of the hospital pharmacy, including medicine dispensing support, stock management, billing, storage, documentation and coordination with OPD, IPD, ICU, OT, Casualty/Emergency and other hospital departments.

The employee must maintain high standards of accuracy, patient safety, confidentiality, cleanliness and inventory control and strictly follow hospital SOPs, pharmacy regulations and applicable NABH requirements.

• 2. KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIESA. Prescription & Dispensing SupportReceive and process prescriptions/medicine indents under Pharmacist supervision.
• Check patient name, UHID/IP number, prescription details, medicine name, strength, dosage and quantity.
• Select and arrange medicines accurately for dispensing.
• Check medicine name, batch number, expiry date and quantity before issue.
• Properly pack and label medicines as required.
• Immediately refer any unclear prescription, medicine discrepancy or suspected medication error to the Pharmacist.
• Never independently alter a doctor's prescription.
• Ensure restricted/scheduled medicines are handled only as per authorization and hospital policy.
• Follow the medication safety principle of the right patient, right medicine, right dose, right route and right time.
• B. OP Pharmacy ResponsibilitiesAttend OP patients and receive prescriptions.
• Prepare medicines for dispensing under Pharmacist supervision.
• Assist in pharmacy billing and payment collection.
• Maintain OP pharmacy sales and issue records.
• Ensure medicines are handed over to the correct patient.
• Handle patient queries politely and refer clinical/medicine-related questions to the Pharmacist.
• Maintain the OP pharmacy counter, racks and work area properly.
• C. IP / Inpatient Pharmacy ResponsibilitiesReceive medicine indents from wards and departments.
• Prepare medicines according to approved indents.
• Supply medicines to IP departments as per hospital procedure.
• Coordinate with nursing staff for pending medicine requirements.
• Maintain issue/return documentation.
• Check returned medicines from wards for quantity, batch and expiry.
• Assist in discharge medication billing and reconciliation.
• Coordinate with ICU, HDU, NICU, PICU, OT and other critical areas for medicine requirements.
• D. Emergency / Casualty Pharmacy ResponsibilitiesAttend emergency medicine requirements during the assigned shift.
• Ensure availability of essential emergency medicines.
• Supply emergency medicines promptly against authorized requisition.
• Maintain emergency medicine records/registers as applicable.
• Immediately inform the Pharmacist/In-Charge about critical shortages.
• Ensure emergency stock is replenished after use.
• E. Inventory & Stock ManagementArrange medicines systematically according to category, product and storage requirements.
• Follow FEFO – First Expiry, First Out and FIFO principles wherever applicable.
• Check expiry dates regularly.
• Separate expired, damaged and near-expiry medicines as per hospital procedure.
• Monitor fast-moving, slow-moving and non-moving items.
• Inform the Pharmacy In-Charge about minimum-stock and stock-out situations.
• Assist in preparing pharmacy indents and replenishment requirements.
• Participate in physical stock verification.
• Report stock discrepancies immediately.
• Assist in maintaining accurate stock records in HMIS/pharmacy software.
• Prevent unnecessary wastage, overstocking and stock shortages.
• F. Receiving & Storage of MedicinesReceive medicines and pharmacy supplies from Stores/Purchase/Vendors as authorized.
• Verify quantity, product name, batch number, expiry date and physical condition.
• Report shortages, excess quantities or damaged items.
• Arrange medicines in the appropriate racks/storage areas.
• Maintain refrigerator/cold-chain temperature records where applicable.
• Ensure medicines requiring special storage are maintained under prescribed conditions.
• Keep LASA (Look-Alike/Sound-Alike) medicines appropriately identified and separated according to hospital policy.
• G. Pharmacy Billing & HMISGenerate accurate pharmacy bills through HMIS/pharmacy software.
• Enter medicines and quantities correctly.
• Verify billing before final submission.
• Assist with cash/card/UPI transactions where assigned.
• Maintain billing and transaction records.
• Assist in IP medication billing and discharge reconciliation.
• Report billing discrepancies to the Pharmacy In-Charge immediately.
• Maintain proper documentation for insurance/TPA requirements wherever applicable.

H. Documentation & RecordsMaintain and update pharmacy records as assigned, including:

• Medicine issue records
• Stock registers
• Purchase/receipt records
• Expiry records
• Near-expiry records
• Return records
• Emergency medicine records
• Temperature records
• Indent records
• Billing records
• Stock verification reports
• Shift handover records
• Other pharmacy registers prescribed by the hospital
• 3. SHIFT-WISE RESPONSIBILITIESMORNING SHIFTComplete opening pharmacy checks.
• Check refrigerator/cold-storage temperature and record it.
• Verify essential and emergency medicine availability.
• Check fast-moving medicine stock.
• Review previous-shift pending requirements.
• Arrange and replenish medicine racks.
• Process morning OP/IP prescriptions and department indents.
• Check near-expiry medicines.
• Coordinate with Stores/Purchase for shortage items.
• Ensure pharmacy counters and work areas are clean and organized.
• EVENING SHIFTManage increased OP pharmacy workload efficiently.
• Process OP prescriptions and IP/ward indents.
• Ensure adequate stock of emergency and fast-moving medicines.
• Monitor pending medicine requirements from wards/ICU/OT.
• Check billing accuracy and pending transactions.
• Review near-expiry and shortage items.
• Maintain proper stock arrangement.
• Complete shift documentation and handover to the night-shift staff.
• NIGHT SHIFTAttend 24-hour pharmacy/emergency requirements.
• Support Casualty/Emergency, ICU, OT and other departments as required.
• Ensure availability of emergency and critical medicines.
• Process authorized emergency medicine indents promptly.
• Maintain emergency medicine documentation.
• Monitor critical/fast-moving stock.
• Check refrigerator temperature where applicable.
• Maintain pharmacy security and restricted medicine access.
• Record all pending requirements for the morning shift.
• Complete proper night-shift handover.

4. SHIFT HANDOVER & TAKEOVERBefore leaving duty, the Pharmacy Assistant must provide a proper handover covering:

• Pending prescriptions/indents
• Emergency medicine requirements
• Stock shortages
• Near-expiry items
• Refrigerator/cold-chain status
• Pending billing
• Medicine returns
• Stock discrepancies
• Any incident or medication-related issue
• Other important information requiring follow-up

Proper shift handover is an important hospital pharmacy control.

• 5. PATIENT SERVICE & COMMUNICATIONTreat patients and attendants respectfully.
• Maintain professional communication.
• Maintain patient confidentiality.
• Assist patients with medicine availability and billing queries.
• Refer medication counselling and clinical questions to the Pharmacist.
• Handle complaints politely and escalate unresolved issues to the Pharmacy In-Charge.
• Maintain good coordination with Doctors, Nurses, Billing, Stores, Purchase and other departments.
• 6. QUALITY, SAFETY & NABH RESPONSIBILITIESFollow hospital pharmacy SOPs.
• Follow medication safety procedures.
• Follow infection-control and hygiene requirements.
• Maintain pharmacy cleanliness.
• Support internal and external pharmacy audits.
• Maintain required pharmacy documentation.
• Report medication errors, near misses, stock discrepancies and safety incidents immediately.
• Follow biomedical waste management procedures where applicable.
• Maintain confidentiality of patient and hospital information.
• Follow all hospital rules and applicable statutory requirements.

7. QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCEPreferred Qualification:

• D.Pharm / B.Pharm or relevant pharmacy-related qualification as permitted for the position.
• Valid registration/licensing requirements should be met where applicable to the duties assigned.

Experience:

• Minimum 1–2 years of hospital pharmacy experience preferred.
• Experience in OP Pharmacy, IP Pharmacy, Emergency/Casualty Pharmacy or hospital HMIS/pharmacy software will be an advantage.
• Candidates with experience in rotational shifts will be preferred.

Current hospital pharmacy assistant postings commonly emphasize dispensing support, stock handling, billing, expiry control, documentation and day/night shift flexibility.

• 8. REQUIRED SKILLSBasic knowledge of medicines and pharmaceutical products.
• Hospital pharmacy operational knowledge.
• Inventory and stock management.
• Pharmacy billing/HMIS software knowledge.
• Basic computer knowledge.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Teamwork and coordination.
• Ability to work Morning, Evening and Night shifts.
• Willingness to work weekends and hospital holidays as per duty roster.
• 9. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)Accuracy of medicine preparation/dispensing support.
• Zero expired medicine issued.
• Stock accuracy and reconciliation.
• Reduction in stock-outs.
• Accurate pharmacy billing.
• Proper FEFO/FIFO implementation.
• Timely processing of ward/emergency indents.
• Proper shift handover.
• Documentation accuracy.
• Compliance with hospital SOPs and NABH requirements.
• Patient service and communication.
• Timely reporting of discrepancies and incidents.

10. ACCOUNTABILITYThe Pharmacy Assistant shall be accountable to the Pharmacy In-Charge / Chief Pharmacist for assigned pharmacy duties, stock handling, documentation, billing support, medicine storage, patient service and compliance with hospital policies.

Important: Pharmacy Assistants shall perform dispensing and other regulated activities under the supervision and direction of the authorized/registered Pharmacist, and shall not independently make clinical decisions or alter prescriptions.

• 11. OTHER DUTIESAttend departmental meetings and training programs.
• Participate in pharmacy stock audits.
• Assist during hospital inspections and accreditation activities.
• Support new staff/trainees when assigned.
• Perform other pharmacy-related duties assigned by the Pharmacy In-Charge or Hospital Management.
• Maintain discipline, punctuality and professional conduct throughout the duty period.

Employment Type: Full-Time

Duty Pattern: Rotational Shift – Morning / Evening / Night

Department: Pharmacy

Reporting: Pharmacy In-Charge / Chief Pharmacist