Pharmacy Adviser Apprentice Review

I work as a pharmacy advisor apprentice for boots, I start the day by bringing in the delivery from Unichem. I pick out the stock which has been ordered for patients for outstanding balances, then proceed to put any stock away. We take a look at the 'Model Day' which is an outline of how the day should be structured and determines who is responsible for completing each task. As a team we are responsible for dealing with patients queries and booking vaccination appointments. We also have the responsibility of completing patients repeat prescriptions ready for them to collect. Keeping the pharmacy clean and tidy is another big responsibility, if there is clutter this can cause errors in dispensing which could be fatal for a patient. I also do the ordering to keep the correct amount of stock in the dispensary and at the end of the day count how many items we have given out. There are many responsibilities training to be a dispenser which are extremely importaant.

I will have gained three qualifications from this course which I can use externally. I have learnt how to dispense items and how to carry out tasks legally in a pharmacy in corralation with SOP's.

I love working in a team with healthy competition by achieving daily and weekly goals. My manager in amazing and makes time for me if I have a query. I work with a lovely group of people with a good environment.

I think in a fast paced environment like boots pharmacy appreciation should be showed more from management as it can be stressful, however the team tend to motivate each other. I feel part of the team and am generally happy on a day to day basis which makes me feel valued.

On paper the structure of the programme is great, but wwith the pressures and fast pace of boots it is hard to complete coursework when you aren't always given allocated learning time and I do find myself slipping behind at times. The induction was a bit sloppy to start with as no one knew what the course was about as we had a new manager. Support from the pharmacist is very good, I have a good tutor who makes time for me and answers any questions.

My Tutor is a pharacist who does get extremely busy, so we might not always get a sit down and chat, however she always makes time for me when I ask and continually advises me to ask her if I have any problems with my work.

My manager and store manager do not have much to do with my program and coursework.

I think the salary is fair, and there is a wage rise when I finish my course which is a good incentive.

I have had opportunities to get experience from other stores but no major out of work experiences apart from my training days for my apprenticeship.

Yes

It is a good place to work you are supported by your team and the apprenticeship is an amazing opportunity, I also get discount from boots which is an added bonus!

Make sure you stick to your deadlines and also take time to complete your work in your allocated time.