Pharmacy teams include pharmacists, registered pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy assistants, and cashiers/clerks. Each member of a pharmacy team plays an important and distinct role.
PHARMACISTS are essential healthcare providers. Pharmacists not only dispense medications, but they also provide many non-dispensing clinical care services. Pharmacists in Nova Scotia can assess and prescribe for a number of conditions including UTIs, Group A Strep, birth control, Lyme disease, and Shingles. They can conduct testing, provide medication reviews, provide chronic disease management for such conditions as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma, and prescribe and administer vaccines.
REGISTERED PHARMACY TECHNICIANS are regulated healthcare professionals who have completed an accredited pharmacy technician program or nationally recognized bridging program. They are trained and qualified to complete technical checks on prescriptions, manage pharmacy inventory, prepare and package prescriptions, make compounds, and pass out prescriptions at the cash. Technicians do not answer any questions about prescription or non-prescription drug therapy.
PHARMACY ASSISTANTS are not regulated healthcare professionals but still work in the pharmacy. They operate under direct supervision of a pharmacist and are required to maintain patient confidentiality. Pharmacy assistants manage pharmacy inventory, prepare and package prescriptions, and pass out prescriptions at the cash. Assistants do not answer any questions about prescription or non-prescription drug therapy.
CASHIERS/CLERKS are not regulated healthcare professionals. They operate under direct supervision of a pharmacist and are required to maintain patient confidentiality. They can handle some inventory and pass out prescriptions at the pharmacy cash. They do not answer any questions about prescription or non-prescription drug therapy.