National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0
- 3 - Health occupations
- 33 - Assisting occupations in support of health services
- 331 - Assisting occupations in support of health services
- 3310 - Assisting occupations in support of health services
33103 - Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
Pharmacy technical assistants perform technical tasks related to preparing medications under a pharmacist's supervision. They also assist in filling prescriptions and managing patient files. Pharmacy assistants perform clerical functions and assists pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with drug dispensing tasks. Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants are employed in retail and hospital pharmacies, long-term care facilities and by pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Illustrative example(s)
- pharmacy aide
- pharmacy assistant
- pharmacy technical assistant
Exclusion(s)
- Pharmacy clerk (See 64100 Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers)
- Pharmacy technicians (See 32124 Pharmacy technicians)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Assess prescriptions for completeness
- Enter clients' information and prescription details in databases
- Help pharmacists and other pharmacy staff with preparing, packaging and labelling of pharmaceutical products
- Assist in maintaining inventories of medications and pharmaceutical products
- Compound oral solutions, ointments and creams
- May process medical billing information
- May price and stock items on shelves.
Employment requirements
- Pharmacy technical assistants usually require completion of up to two-years of a Pharmacy Technical Assistance vocational program.
- Pharmacy assistants usually require completion of a Pharmacy Assistant college program, ranging from six to twelve months or completion of secondary school and several months of on-the-job training.
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