Pharmacist

Primary Activities

A Pharmacist in the Medical function is typically expected to perform the following activities as a part of their job. Expect questions delving deeper into these areas depending on your level of experience. This is a representative list and not a complete one; the latter are generally based on the exact nature of the role

Dispensing Medications: Filling prescriptions accurately and providing patients with the correct medications and dosage instructions
Counseling Patients: Educating patients on the proper use of medications, potential side effects, and any necessary precautions
Monitoring Drug Interactions: Checking for potential drug interactions and advising healthcare professionals and patients on the appropriate course of action
Compounding Medications: Preparing customized medications by combining different ingredients according to specific patient needs
Managing Inventory: Ensuring an adequate supply of medications, monitoring expiration dates, and ordering new stock as needed
Collaborating With Healthcare Professionals: Working closely with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to optimize patient care and medication therapy
Conducting Medication Reviews: Reviewing patients' medication regimens to identify any potential issues, such as duplications or contraindications
Providing Immunizations: Administering vaccines and providing immunization services to patients, following proper protocols and guidelines
Staying Updated On Pharmaceutical Knowledge: Continuously learning about new medications, drug therapies, and industry developments to provide the most up-to-date information to patients and healthcare professionals
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to all relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards in the practice of pharmacy

Key Performance Indicators

Pharmacists in the Medical function are often evaluated using the following KPI metrics. Address atleast some of these metrics in your resume line items & within your interview stories to maximize your prospects (if you have prior experiences in this or a related role). This is not a comprehensive list and exact metrics vary depending on the type of business

Medication dispensing accuracy: Percentage of medications dispensed accurately without errors or discrepancies
Patient satisfaction: Measure of patient satisfaction with the pharmacist's services and interactions
Medication counseling: Number of medication counseling sessions conducted by the pharmacist
Medication adherence: Percentage of patients adhering to prescribed medication regimens
Medication error rate: Number of medication errors made by the pharmacist per patient or per medication dispensed
Inventory management: Efficiency in managing and maintaining appropriate medication inventory levels
Clinical interventions: Number of clinical interventions made by the pharmacist to optimize patient outcomes
Patient counseling satisfaction: Measure of patient satisfaction with the pharmacist's counseling sessions
Pharmacy revenue: Total revenue generated by the pharmacy department
Prescription processing time: Average time taken to process a prescription from receiving to dispensing

Selection Process

Successful candidates for a Pharmacists role in the Medical function can expect a similar selection process as the one outlined below. Actual process may vary depending on seniority, size/type of company etc.

Phone screening
A brief phone call to assess your qualifications and interest in the role
In-person interview
A face-to-face interview with a hiring manager or a panel of interviewers to discuss your skills, experience, and fit for the role
Technical assessment
A test or assessment to evaluate your knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy-related topics
Behavioral interview
A series of questions to assess your behavior, problem-solving skills, and ability to handle various situations
Case study
A scenario-based exercise where you analyze and provide solutions for pharmacy-related challenges
Reference checks
Contacting your provided references to gather insights about your work ethic and performance
Final interview
A final round of interviews with senior management or key stakeholders to make the final hiring decision
Offer
If selected, you will receive a job offer with details on compensation, benefits, and start date

Interview Questions

Common Interview Questions that a Pharmacists in the Medical function is likely to face. Prepare stories that tailor to your own experiences that may help you answer these questions effectively. This is not a complete list and more questions will be added over time. Use the topic tags in the search box below to filter by specific topics

Link	Question	Topic(s)
Link	Tell me about your experience as a pharmacist.	Experience
Link	How do you ensure accuracy in dispensing medications?	Dispensing Accuracy
Link	What steps do you take to prevent medication errors?	Medication Errors Prevention
Link	How do you handle difficult or angry patients?	Patient Communication Difficult Patients
Link	Describe your knowledge of pharmaceutical regulations and laws.	Regulations Laws
Link	How do you stay updated with the latest developments in pharmacy?	Continuing Education Professional Development
Link	Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict with a coworker.	Conflict Resolution Teamwork
Link	How do you handle a situation where a patient's insurance doesn't cover their prescribed medication?	Insurance Patient Assistance
Link	Describe your experience with medication therapy management.	Medication Therapy Management Experience
Link	How do you ensure patient confidentiality and privacy?	Confidentiality Privacy
Link	Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a medication recall.	Medication Recall Problem Solving
Link	How do you handle a situation where a patient refuses to take their prescribed medication?	Patient Compliance Communication
Link	Describe your experience with compounding medications.	Compounding Experience
Link	How do you handle a situation where a patient has multiple drug allergies?	Drug Allergies Patient Safety
Link	Tell me about a time when you had to educate a patient about their medication.	Patient Education Communication
Link	How do you handle a situation where a patient asks for a medication that requires a prescription?	Prescription Medication Patient Communication
Link	Describe your experience with medication reconciliation.	Medication Reconciliation Experience
Link	How do you handle a situation where a patient is non-compliant with their medication regimen?	Patient Compliance Communication
Link	Tell me about a time when you had to handle a medication error.	Medication Error Problem Solving
Link	How do you handle a situation where a patient has concerns about potential drug interactions?	Drug Interactions Patient Safety

Primary Activities

Key Performance Indicators

Selection Process

Interview Questions

Related