Pharmacy managers are responsible for ensuring that the pharmacy complies with federal and state regulations, managing the pharmacy staff, overseeing the drug inventory and interacting with the customers to resolve their concerns. So, if you have diligence for patient care and a desire for leadership, becoming a pharmacy manager is the right choice. This guide will provide you with more comprehensive information about this occupation. First, let’s take a look at the three resume templates, one of which you will choose to customize and create your resume.
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Job Duties of a Pharmacy Manager
A pharmacy manager’s responsibilities are to manage the staff, inventory and customers, which requires managerial, leadership and communication capabilities. These responsibilities may change according to the size, scale and type of pharmacy. But there are several routine duties that they have to complete. Some of these are:
Complying with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Controlled Substance Laws to guarantee quality.
Managing the pharmacy staff to provide quality customer service.
Maintaining the inventory by estimating the medicines required, placing orders and dealing with expired stock.
Overseeing prescriptions filled by pharmacy technicians and checking if they have followed the proper procedures.
Assisting in hiring, training and scheduling employee work shifts.
Controlling the finance budget of the pharmacy to ensure its smooth operation.
Following safety procedures, while administering immunizations and vaccines.
Addressing customer’s complaints and queries.
Pharmacy Manager Median Salary
According to PayScale, the average annual salary earned by a pharmacy manager is $131,543 as of August 2021.
Top Skills for a Pharmacy Manager
Tackling a career as a pharmacy manager is highly competitive in the health care industry; you need to possess the right skills to grab the recruiter’s attention. These are a few skills that will help you achieve that:
- Knowledge of FDA laws: As a pharmacy manager, it is your job to ensure the pharmacy complies with FDA laws and regulations. You should safely store all drug transaction information history and investigate any unlawful prescription drug activity to guarantee patient safety.
- Quality assurance: A pharmacy manager must establish a quality assurance control process to ensure every medicine is safe and of standard quality. They should select suppliers with quality medicines that are safe and effective, inspected and monitored for quality assurance and under preserved storage conditions.
- Inventory management proficiency: The pharmacy manager is responsible for effectively managing the inventory. They should also keep inventory records for at least two years for any controlled substance obtained by the pharmacy. These processes are more manageable thanks to software such as ScriptPro Inventory Management (SIM), PioneerRx and Rx30. They offer help in maintaining optimal inventory levels, placing orders and real-time inventory tracking.
- Excellence in employee management: Pharmacy managers are responsible for managing their employees and must instruct, train, monitor and evaluate them. They also have to assist in hiring new employees and creating work schedules for the staff.
- Communication skills: Excellent communication skills are fundamental for a pharmacy manager. They must explain and address the concerns and complaints of both staff and customers, while also instructing and informing about federal or state regulations changes.
- Detail-oriented: A pharmacy manager needs to be alert and careful to every detail and instruction while checking filled prescriptions, purchasing quality inventory and administering vaccines. This quality helps you avoid mistakes, which can lead to grave health issues for customers.
Pharmacy Manager Education and Certifications
Degree
To work as a pharmacy manager, you must have a postgraduate degree, Doctor of Pharmacy, offered by a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). This degree usually takes four additional years to complete after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. However, some universities also offer a three-year program. You will learn chemistry, medical ethics, pharmacology, toxicology and biopharmaceuticals. These degree programs also include internships in a supervised environment at hospitals and retail pharmacies. Most colleges require candidates to pass The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCTA). The University of North Carolina, University of California, University of Michigan and the University of Florida are a few top-ranking universities that offer the study of Doctor of Pharmacy.Licenses
After completing your studies, you must receive a license from the state where you will work. To get licensed, you must pass two exams: the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), which tests practical knowledge and abilities and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE), which tests knowledge of state laws and regulations.Certifications
Pharmacy managers who administer immunizations and vaccines must get certified and taught how to administer vaccines through the American Pharmacists Association's Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Program.
Although it is not compulsory, pharmacy managers can get certified in some specific fields to advance their knowledge, such as oncology or nutrition offered by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties, or by passing the exam held by the Certification Board for Diabetes Educators.
Pharmacy Manager Resume-Writing Tips
Here are a few tips to help you write an effective resume to get the attention of a hiring manager:
- Write an enticing summary statement: Your summary statement should attract the attention of recruiters, so they read your resume carefully instead of just glazing over it. Write your work accomplishments and skills that can present you as a suitable candidate for the pharmacy manager job. Provide an overview of the achieved results and the relevant abilities used for achieving those results. Write about your capabilities related to both pharmacy operations and your managerial qualities.
- Quantify your work history: Remember it is indispensable to have at least a few years of work experience to be a pharmacy manager, which is why it is necessary to highlight your relevant work experience. Quantify your achievements using data as much as possible, mentioning the percentage in employee or customer retention, number of immunizations administered, loss reduction or profit increases.
- Focus on hard and soft skills: A pharmacy is a place where delays can be detrimental to a patient's health, so it is required for pharmacy managers to be active decision-makers. Therefore, present both your hard skills like operations management or FDA compliance and soft skills like problem-solving and communication skills.
FAQ
What is the difference between a pharmacist and a pharmacy manager?
A pharmacist is responsible for checking the quality of prescribed medicines distributed to the patients, ensuring that they are suitable for patients and instructing patients on how to take them and any side effects that may happen. They can start working after getting a postgraduate degree in pharmacy and getting licensed.
A pharmacy manager is responsible for supervising the daily operations of the pharmacy. They also manage the staff, inventory and handle customer complaints. It is required for them to have exceptional managerial skills. A few years of work experience is a must for this job.
Where do pharmacy managers work?
Pharmacy managers can work in retail or compound pharmacies, state or private hospitals and drugstores. A few examples of organizations hiring pharmacy managers are All’s Well Health Care, CVS Health, Walmart Pharmacy, Walgreens Pharmacy, Target Pharmacy and Rite Aid.