Have you ever dreamed of working in a pharmacy and helping dispense the vital medication that keeps people in your community healthy? If you love helping others, one of the most rewarding jobs you can have is being on the front line of this profession; it allows you to show yourself as the friendly and reassuring face that often-frightened patients need, and you’re doing a valuable service to your local area.

If you need more persuasion to go down this enriching and societally important career path, consider these top reasons why you should train to be a pharmacy dispenser.

You Won’t Be Short of Work

Pharmacies are among the essential services that exist in communities. Working alongside hospitals, doctors, and care homes, they are often familiar places to the most vulnerable people in society.

Also, the importance and necessity of pharmacies mean that working in the pharmacy industry is seen as an incredibly safe profession in the sense that professionals in this sector will always be needed.

You’ll Get to Help People

People who join any part of the healthcare field are usually the kind who want to help others – and pharmacies and those who work in them are no different. Being a crucial part of the process of healing and caring for people is extremely rewarding for those who get to do it.

As a pharmacy dispenser, you are a vital part of the community of healthcare professionals who make the journey for patients from sickness to health smooth, comforting, and as painless as possible. Studies have also shown that the very act of helping others can have huge benefits on our own stress levels and sense of well-being – which is only a plus for anyone who chooses to follow this exceptional career path.

You’ll Take Home a Competitive Salary

Luckily, pharmacy dispensers are well compensated for their time and efforts. As a qualified professional with an individual skill set, you can expect a starting salary of $25,000 in the USA or £20,000 in the UK, increasing as you gain more experience.

This is a great starting salary in comparison to first roles in other fields when paid an hourly rate. Furthermore, if you were to take the route of a locum worker through Workflare, your hourly rate can increase even further. 

Opportunity to Progress

Becoming a pharmacy dispenser can often be a step up the ladder to another opportunity. It isn’t unusual for dispensers to become practice managers, move into specialist fields such as oncology, or become a pharmacist themselves.

The qualification you gain in becoming a dispenser not only affords you the competitive salary mentioned above but can also act as the perfect springboard to jumpstart your career going forwards.

Experience a Variety of Work Environments

Pharmacies exist in many capacities. One of them is the traditional community pharmacy, where patients pick up prescriptions sent in by their doctor. Working in an environment like this will allow you to serve the local community, often leading to closer relationships with patients than others as you will get to know the frequent visitors.

On the other hand, a pharmacy of a different nature would be within a hospital. In this kind of setting, pharmacists and dispensers are tasked with monitoring the supply of all medications prescribed by doctors to inpatients. This may be seen as a faster-paced role, often with shift work available.

Dispensers are also required in some care homes – either medical facilities or residential homes for the elderly. Many vulnerable patients living in a care home require regular medications, meaning an on-site dispenser is often needed.