Pharmacy Career Options: Pharmacist in Charge

In our continuing series on the different types of career options available in the field of pharmacy, we’re going to talk this week about the position of pharmacist in charge (PIC).

The pharmacist in charge, basically, is the pharmacist in charge of the day-to-day operations of a pharmacy. The PIC is responsible for personnel, security, inventory, and servicing customers (customer relations).

You usually must have a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy or a Pharm.D. degree from an accredited school to work as a PIC.

As it relates to customer service, the PIC makes sure that a customer is serviced to the customer’s satisfaction by openly communicating with a customer and/or patient while keeping the patient’s healthcare and medication plans confidential.

As for inventory management, the PIC will make sure that medication inventory quantities are kept at defined levels. The PIC also complies with all loss prevention and security procedures for inventory as well as for the pharmacy itself.

When it comes to staffing and human resources issues, the PIC provides performance reviews/evaluations to all staff (including pharmacy technicians and staff pharmacists) at least annually and counsels/coaches staff to better performance and toward individual career goals.

You should have the experience and/or the ability to manage a staff, as well as experience with handling budgets and staff training. You must stay current with pharmaceutical issues, policies, procedures, and drug interaction information/news.

The average salary of a PIC nationwide ranges between $101,003 and $145,377, with the median salary (half of all PICs earn less than this amount and half earn more) at $124,280 (according to PayScale.com).

Most PICs work in retail pharmacies, but they’re also found in assisted living/long-term care facilities, as well as in hospitals and clinics.

Are you a pharmacist looking to take on new responsibilities as a PIC? Then send your resume to a recruiter at Rx relief®. We look forward to hearing how we may help you achieve your career goals.