Pharmacist

Pharmacist Role & Responsibilities

Department: Pharmacy / Clinical Operations
Designation: Pharmacist
Reports To: Pharmacy Manager / Hospital Administrator / Medical Superintendent

Job Summary:
Responsible for dispensing medicines safely, maintaining pharmacy inventory, supporting patients and healthcare professionals, and ensuring compliance with applicable pharmacy regulations and hospital procedures.

Key Responsibilities

1. Prescription Verification & Dispensing
• Review prescriptions for completeness, dosage, frequency, and potential drug interactions.
• Dispense medicines accurately according to the prescription.
• Explain dosage, administration, storage, and precautions to patients.
• Clarify unclear prescriptions with the prescribing doctor.
2. Patient Care & Counselling
• Provide information about medicine usage and possible side effects.
• Guide patients on proper medication adherence.
• Maintain patient confidentiality.
• Escalate adverse drug reactions or medication-related concerns to the appropriate healthcare professional.
3. Inventory & Stock Management
• Maintain adequate stock of medicines and pharmacy supplies.
• Monitor stock levels, expiry dates, and batch numbers.
• Follow FEFO (First Expiry, First Out) for stock rotation.
• Prepare purchase requests and coordinate with approved suppliers.
• Receive and verify medicines against purchase orders and invoices.
4. Storage & Quality Control
• Ensure medicines are stored under appropriate temperature and environmental conditions.
• Maintain cold-chain storage for temperature-sensitive medicines.
• Monitor and document refrigerator temperatures.
• Separate expired, damaged, or recalled medicines from usable stock.
• Maintain proper housekeeping and pharmacy hygiene.
5. Documentation & Compliance
• Maintain prescription records, stock registers, and dispensing records.
• Ensure proper documentation of controlled and restricted medicines as applicable.
• Support pharmacy audits and regulatory inspections.
• Follow hospital SOPs and applicable pharmacy laws.
• Maintain records of medicine returns, wastage, and disposals.
6. Coordination with Healthcare Teams
• Coordinate with doctors, nurses, and other departments regarding medication requirements.
• Support medication reconciliation and identification of medication-related issues.
• Participate in pharmacy and therapeutics committee activities where applicable.
• Assist in maintaining medication safety standards.
7. Billing & Pharmacy Operations
• Generate medicine bills and verify billing accuracy.
• Handle cash, card, or digital payments according to hospital procedures.
• Coordinate with insurance or billing departments when required.
• Maintain daily sales and stock reconciliation.
8. Emergency & Inpatient Pharmacy Support
• Ensure availability of essential medicines for emergency and inpatient requirements.
• Coordinate timely medicine supply to wards, ICU, OT, and emergency departments.
• Maintain emergency drug stock and check expiry dates regularly.

Required Qualifications

• D.Pharm / B.Pharm from a recognized institution.
• Valid State Pharmacy Council registration as applicable.
• Knowledge of prescription handling, medicine storage, and pharmacy operations.
• Basic computer knowledge and pharmacy billing software experience.
• Good communication and patient-handling skills.

Preferred Experience

• Freshers and experienced candidates may apply, depending on the hospital's requirements.
• Experience in hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, or clinical pharmacy is preferred.

Key Skills

Prescription Reading | Dispensing | Inventory Management | FEFO | Cold-Chain Management | Pharmacy Billing | Patient Counselling | Documentation | Medication Safety | Regulatory Compliance

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Dispensing accuracy
• Stock availability
• Expiry and wastage control
• Inventory accuracy
• Prescription turnaround time
• Patient satisfaction
• Compliance with pharmacy SOPs

Note: Actual duties may vary depending on whether the role is in a hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, or pharmaceutical company.