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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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33103.00 – 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.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Pharmacy aide
  • Pharmacy assistant
  • Pharmacy technical assistant

Core competencies

  • Oral Communication: Active Listening to understand patients' medication needs or concerns to accurately relay information to pharmacists or pharmacy technicians
  • Quality Control Testing to ensure accuracy, potency and safety of by checking expiration dates or inspecting packaging integrity
  • Near Vision to read medication information, dosage instructions and safety information to ensure prescriptions are prepared and dispensed correctly
  • Finger Dexterity to measure medication, package and label prescription bottles and operate computerized systems with accuracy
  • Attention to Detail to carefully follow prescription instructions, dosage guidelines and pharmacy protocols when preparing medications
  • Knowledge in Languages to understand language structure and rules to communicate clearly with pharmacists, patients and healthcare providers, ensuring prescription details and medication instructions are conveyed correctly

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.

Additional information

No data has been provided for this section.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Pharmacy technicians (32124)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

3 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training

Major group

33 – Assisting occupations in support of health services

Sub-major group

331 – Assisting occupations in support of health services

Minor group

3310 – Assisting occupations in support of health services

Unit group

33103 – Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants

Occupational profile

33103.00 – Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.