Your Pharmacy Team

There are both general staff and professionals working in a pharmacy, each position having very distinct roles and responsibilities, and each are easily identifiable by their name tags.

The team may include: pharmacists, pharmacy interns, pharmacy students, registered technicians, pharmacy assistants, and cashiers.

Pharmacists

• Have completed an accredited university pharmacy degree program and an assigned period of practice experience
• They are trained in all aspects of handling medications including dispensing prescription and non-prescription medications, drug therapy, and understanding drug-interactions and side effects
• They are trained in managing medication therapy including patient counselling
• Understand and comply with all  health care and pharmacy laws
• Successfully completed  provincial and national examinations
• Meet continuing education requirements annually

What you can expect from your pharmacist:

• The pharmacist will review your prescription and gather all relevant information directly from you and your record at the pharmacy to ensure that:
  
  • Your health care provider (doctor, dentist, etc.) has provided all information necessary
  • The medication, dose, and directions are appropriate for your health condition
  • The prescription is safe to take with your other prescriptions
  • There are no potential problems like drug interactions or duplicate therapy
  • You are not allergic to the medication
  • Your medications are working and you are not experiencing side effects
  • If the pharmacist discovers any problems with your prescription they will contact the prescriber, or they are authorized to adjust prescriptions to make them correct for you
• The pharmacist will counsel you on all of your prescription medication. Counselling is a conversation between you and your pharmacist to be sure you know about and understand your medication. Counselling should help you take your medication correctly and safely. It will include:
  
  • Who the medication is for
  • What the medication is for
  • The directions for proper use
  • Common side effects or interactions, and how to manage them
  • How soon to expect the medication to work
  • What to do with a missed dose
  • How to store the medication
  • How the pharmacist will monitor the medication
• The pharmacist can assess and prescribe for minor ailments, adapt your prescription medication, renew prescriptions that have no refills
• The pharmacist can assess and prescribe vaccines, and inject vaccines
• The pharmacist can offer information on non-prescription products including natural health products
• Can offer suggestions on lifestyle and other non-drug measures
•  

Pharmacy Students and Pharmacy Interns

• Are individuals in the process of completing their educational requirements to become pharmacists
• Can only practice pharmacy under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist who is present in the dispensary
• A pharmacy student can only practice if a pharmacist  is observing their practice
• Under a pharmacists supervision, they can provide counselling on prescription medication, provide information on non-prescription products, on lifestyle and other non-drug measures

Registered Pharmacy Technicians

• Are regulated healthcare professionals
• Have completed an accredited pharmacy technician program or nationally recognized bridging program
• Train and become qualified in aspects of handling medications including dispensing medications
• Complete an assigned period of practice
• Understand and comply with health care and pharmacy laws
• Successfully complete an assessment of their competencies
• Successfully complete provincial and national examinations

What can you expect from your registered pharmacy technician

• Will do technical checks on prescriptions, including checking pill packs
• Can take verbal orders from physicians over the telephone
• They do not answer any questions about prescription or non-prescription drug therapy
• Can manage pharmacy inventory, prepare and package prescriptions, answer the telephone, make compounds, pass out prescriptions at the cash and make pill packs

Pharmacy Assistants

• Are not regulated health care professionals, but still work in the pharmacy
• They must operate under the direct supervision of a pharmacist
• Are required to maintain the confidentiality of all patient information that is handled in the pharmacy
• Can manage pharmacy inventory, prepare and package prescriptions, answer the telephone, make compounds, pass out prescriptions at the cash and make pill packs
• They do not answer any questions about prescription or non-prescription drug therapy

Cashiers

• Are not regulated health care professionals, but still work in the pharmacy
• They must operate under the direct supervision of a pharmacist
• Are required to maintain the confidentiality of all patient information that is handled in the pharmacy
• May handle some inventory
• Pass our prescriptions at the pharmacy cash
• They do not answer any questions about prescription or non-prescription drug therapy