Medicines Counter Assistant

Job overview

Working under the supervision of the Responsible pharmacist, carry out the day to day activities connected with sale & supply, ordering and receipt of medicines and products for retail sale. Provide advice to patients on the use of medicines and on general health and lifestyle matters within own capability. Receive and give out completed prescriptions under the guidance of the Responsible pharmacist, providing feedback on information provided or requested by patients.

Main duties of the job

• Prescription & Patient Management: Process prescriptions efficiently while liaising professionally with patients, representatives, and hospital staff face-to-face, via phone, or electronically. Gather essential data for safe dispensing and work strictly within your defined competence, escalating queries to the pharmacy team according to SOPs.
• Point of Sale & Counselling: Securely handle cash and electronic transactions, verifying fee exemptions. Issue dispensed medications and offer accurate patient counselling under the direct supervision of the Responsible Pharmacist. Immediately report potential issues like drug interactions, compliance barriers, or safety concerns. Maintain clear transactional records and file prescriptions correctly.
• Over-the-Counter (OTC) Sales: Guide customers on symptoms and products safely. Complete a recognised Medicines Counter Assistant training course to maintain current retail and OTC knowledge. Make appropriate clinical referrals to the Pharmacist when required.
• Stock & Retail Operations: Manage cash operations and cashing up accurately. Order retail goods and optimise stock management by conducting regular date checks. Review demand trends to maintain balanced stock, identifying and reporting short shelf-life or slow-moving items to the manager.
• Merchandising: Ensure the retail space remains tidy, priced accurately, and professional.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.