How to write a pharmacy assistant CV (with template)

Updated 12 April 2023

Pharmacy assistants work with and support pharmacists to order, prepare and correctly dispense medicines to patients. These professionals develop a variety of unique skills and qualifications that can help them excel. Learning what skills, qualifications and other items to include in a CV can help you address these items when searching for a pharmacy assistant job. In this article, we review what a pharmacy assistant is, list some steps to help you create a CV, explore a CV template and example and discuss some tips to help you summarise your top qualifications and talents.

What is a pharmacy assistant CV?

A pharmacy assistant CV highlights your suitability for a role within a pharmacy. It summarises the skills, knowledge and experience you possess that make you a good candidate for the role. You typically submit one when applying for roles within a private pharmacy or a medical setting, such as hospitals, clinics and environments that dispense medicine.

Reviewing a pharmacy assistant job description and person specification before writing your CV allows you to highlight your abilities to carry out the main duties of the role. The following are some responsibilities of pharmacy assistants:

dispense prescriptions over-the-counter and other medical products to patients under the supervision of a licenced pharmacist
assist in the preparation of prescription medication as directed by the pharmacist
provide general information to customers and handle all enquiries in person or over the phone
receive and input prescription orders, liaise with patients and handle monetary transactions
take stock inventory and place orders for replacement medication as directed by the pharmacist

How to write a pharmacy assistant CV

There are several steps to follow when writing a CV:

1. Add your personal details

List your personal details at the top of your CV. Include your name, email address, phone number and location or postcode. Including your full address, title or date of birth is not necessary. It's a good idea to increase the font size and use bold for your name to make it stand out to the recruiting manager.

2. Write a personal profile

A personal statement is a brief introduction that informs employers about you and gives a brief overview of your work experience, skills and qualities. This allows recruiting managers to quickly determine if you have the necessary requirements for the role. In this section, refer to the pharmacy job description and person specification to highlight how your key skills and accomplishments meet the requirements. Tailor the statement to show how your work experience and achievements are transferable to the role of pharmacy assistant. Highlight your interpersonal skills, retail experience and ability to interact effectively with customers.

3. Add your employment history

This section provides employers with information about the roles in which you've previously worked. Starting with your current or most recent role, list the company name, job title and dates of employment. Write in reverse chronological order and list your key responsibilities and achievements in bullet point format, ensuring they're relevant to the role. For your most recent role, use five bullet points, reducing to three for previous roles. If you have minimal experience as a pharmacy assistant, there are many roles that offer several transferrable skills. Some of those roles include:

sales associate
pharmacy technician
medical counter assistant
administrative assistant

4. List your education

The educational information you provide may depend on your work experience. Those who recently left full-time education may have limited work experience. This means they can provide more details on education than someone with many years of work experience. The person specification details the educational requirements of candidates. Demonstrate how you meet these in this section. List your education details in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent qualification. Include the institution's name, the name of the course, your grades and the date achieved.

5. Add your core skills

List the skills you've acquired through your work experience. Draw on your previous positions and match the skills you have with those in the person specification. Use bullet points in columns to detail your skills across your CV as opposed to listing them vertically. The following are skills a recruiting manager may look for in a pharmacy assistant:

customer service skills
ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality
excellent verbal and written communication skills
good listening skills and the ability to follow specific instructions
attention to detail
excellent organisational skills
knowledge of IT systems
knowledge of drug and medical regulations

6. Qualifications and certifications

This section offers you the opportunity to highlight any qualifications or certifications you possess. While there are no required professional qualifications to work as a pharmacy assistant, highlighting courses you've undertaken, such as IT or customer service courses, can increase your chances of success. Ensure that any qualifications you list are relevant to the role and that you have access to any certifications, as the employer may ask to provide evidence of them.

Pharmacy assistant CV template

Here's a template to use when creating your own CV for a pharmacy assistant role:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City]

Professional Summary

[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional].

Experience

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Skills

Education

[Degree and major], [Name of school or university]

Optional

[Certification name], [Host organisation] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Pharmacy assistant CV example

Here's an example of a pharmacy assistant CV:

Helen Jones 01234 567891 | helensjones@email.com | Wigan

Professional Summary

Dedicated and conscientious pharmacy assistant with over five years experience and an NVQ Level 2 qualification in retail skills. Demonstrates exceptional customer service skills, stock control and the ability to advise customers accurately on over-the-counter medication. Able to provide clear guidance on the use of prescribed medication on advice from the pharmacist and maintain a high level of confidentiality compassion and empathy.

Experience
Pharmacy Assistant | February 2017–Current
ABC Pharmacy | Wigan

provide the main contact point for customers collecting or enquiring about medication
listen and provide advice to customers seeking over-the-counter medication for a wide range of conditions
issue medication to customers with pharmacist guidance
input customer details onto the computer system
maintain precise levels of stock and reorder when low

Retail Assistant | March 2014–February 2017
Biggs Fashion Store | Wigan

assisted customers in making purchases and provided refunds where necessary
maintained the tidiness of the shop floor, keeping it free from potential hazards
provided help, advice and excellent customer service to ensure satisfaction

Skills

Customer service | Sensitivity, compassion and understanding | Listening on verbal communication skills | Attention to detail | IT skills

Education

A-level maths, English and Chemistry, Green River College
Wigan

Certifications

NVQ Level 2 in retail skills, Grade Business School
NVQ Level 2 in Business Studies, Grade Business School

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Tips for creating a CV

The following are tips to consider when writing your CV:

Keep it brief but relevant

Generally, CVs don't exceed two pages in length. Ensure that the information you provide is brief yet relevant to the role. You can streamline your CV by removing details on previous roles that are not relevant to the pharmacy assistant role. If you want to provide a full work history on your CV, reference them with a single entry with only the company name, job title and date ranges.

Related: How long should a CV be?

Proofread the CV

Before you submit your CV, ensure that it's free of grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Pharmacy assistants require a high degree of accuracy when dispensing medication, and these errors may lead to the employer not taking your application further. Ask a third party, such as a friend or family member, to read through your CV to ensure that it's accurate and error-free.

Incorporate keywords throughout

Since many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort through potential candidates, it's useful to integrate a variety of keywords into your CV. This can help your CV pass the ATS selection process. Ensure you incorporate keywords from the job description, responsibilities and qualifications sections of the announcement to improve your CV's compatibility with ATS software.

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