To think most people have no idea how much a pharmacy dispenser earns?

[Froggy99]

Following on from another thread I’ve seen today about TA’s I was wondering if people had any idea how much a pharmacy dispenser earns? And if you think they should be paid more/less than they currently get.

Well accuracy techs who are dispensers with further quals who can check prescriptions without a pharmacist having to second sign start on £25k- hardly big bucks.

I think as a pp said everyone reckons they should be paid more…I’m a fairly newly qualified microbiologist and I test medicines to ensure they are safe to release to market…I’m paid the equivalent to 35k uk pounds, I think I should be paid more!!

I knew it was minimum wage because I do it as part of my role as a VCA. I also did a qualification so I can be called an SQP which allows me to prescribe some medication (albeit limited) but I'm still on minimum wage.

(I have level 2, 3 and 4 qualifications, a Bachelor's degree and a Master's as well)

It's not just counting tablets that's the whole of OP's point!

I do think many average wage and above earners don't realize how little many other people do earn throughout the UK. Even to land on an average wage means many more earn less.

The main factor IMO is where you live; and that includes many socio-economic variables; eg: SE - easy to get a job, SW - not so easy. I've got decades of experience in both areas and elsewhere to back up that opinion.

I thought dispensers were NHS band 4? That's not a minimum wage 🤔

ACTs are getting harder to come by as no one wants to put employees through more than basic qualifications.

I'm sure pharmacy techs would support you being paid more. Its a particularly unsavoury aspect of this country that people are quick to claim others shouldn't be paid more rather than attempting to lift everyone up.

Do they actually make up prescriptions or just dispense? If they just dispense I'm not surprised it's so low as that doesn't require too much brain power. But I'm also assuming they need to be qualified so from that perspective and obviously that it's an important job not to mess up, it seems low

Pharmacies like Boots etc. are privately run.

@Rainsew I agree they should be paid more, I think a lot of jobs should be paid more!

The NHS isn't the only employer, most are lower bands anyway. A band 4 would be a lead tech or someone in a role such as ordering as well as dispensing.

Ahh I see what you mean, apologies.

They make up prescriptions, but they have to be checked by the pharmacist before they're given out.

My sister has just started doing this. She previously worked in a gift shop. She has had minimal training afaik. Would she say it was any harder than the gift shop? No I wouldn't think so.

There are plenty of roles I think should be paid more but sorry I don't think yours is one of them.

There are jobs that are much physically or mentally harder who aren't earning much more than you, or even just the same. Are any of us paid us much as we're worth? Probably not with the COL being what it is. I don't think I'm paid enough either for what I do.

Someone lose to me
Does this job and they should definitely be paid more!! So stressful and a lot of pressure, it's terrible.

I am the OP but I haven’t actually said what my opinion is regarding my pay. I was just curious as to other peoples perspective from the TA post I saw today.
Personally I would be happy to be paid the same as someone working in a supermarket. But seeing as PPs seem to think a trained monkey could do the job maybe I am asking too much 🤣
And as for people like carers they should be paid a heck of alot more.

Often they don’t even count tablets, just over label a sealed box.

A dispenser cannot kill anyone with a mistake. Everything they do is overseen and checked by a pharmacist who is ultimately responsible. The pharmacist’s mistake could kill

I wholeheartedly agree dispensers are underpaid but teachers deservedly should be paid far more - they are trained to a higher level and have infinitely more responsibility

Close to me 🙄

In the US, only pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can work the drug dispensing counter. The salary for pharmacists (PharmD/RPh) starts at 125,000 USD/98,355 £ Pharmacy techs make much more than minimum wage in the US, double whatever the minimum wage is - average $40,000 overall.

It's the pharmacist's responsibility, but don't tell me that if you were a dispenser and you made up a prescription incorrectly which killed someone, you'd just think 'not my responsibility' and shrug it off.

I’m not saying my job is the most physically or mentally demanding but I have been verbally abused more times than I can remember and physically assaulted in my work place (she got a caution) so it’s not a walk in the park.
Would I like to be paid the same as a supermarket worker, yes. Do I think it will happen? No.

And your sister shouldn’t be dispensing medicines without the correct training or knowledge of the standard operating procedures.

In the NHS (hospitals) dispensers are band 2 (maybe 3) pharmacy technicians are band 4 to 6 (can go higher in certain trusts) pharmacists are 6 to 8 (can go to 9 in a large trust)
In shops and GPS they are paid as little as the owner can get away with

How much do supermarket workers get paid?