Dispensing Assistant

[jesmond]

friend is thinking of a career change and is thinking about a dispensing assistant rather than a pharmacist, am I right in thinking that a pharmacist is much more complexed to achieve and a dispensing assistant is not as near highly qualified as that, thanx

[york310]

Pharmacist - degree and professional qualification examinations
Disp asst - not

[jesmond]

would presume that you would still have to have at least training for dispensing assistant , is that right ?

[rosycider]

You still need to complete a course with qualifications. See here http://www.pharmacyregulation.org/education/support-staff/dispensing-assistant

[boxtops]

Yes - I work with GP practices where they have dispensing assistants. In order to be a pharmacist you have to study at degree level - much of the course similar to that studied by doctors - then you branch off in the last couple of years.
A dispensing assistant has to have a Level 2 qualification as the absolutel minimum, which - although quite indepth - is a basic qualification to demonstrate your understanding of the importance of understanding medications to that level, confidentiality, accuracy, etc. Rosy's link is a good one.

Depending on where you live in the country, the Level 2 qualification can be quite hard to find, and many dispensary staff study it as a distance learning module.

[Buenchico]

Pharmacists have a similar level of training to doctors:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/pharmacist.aspx

The next step down (which doesn't seem to have been mentioned here) is as a pharmacy technician:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/pharmacytechnician.aspx

Then (as Rosy has posted a link about) there are dispensing assistants.