How to become a pharmacy and optical dispensing assistant

Official title: Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants

Also called: Pharmacy ato, Shop assistant, Optical adviser, Sales assistant, Pharmacy adviser, Counter assistant, Optical assistant, Eye care assistant, Customer assistant, Pharmacy assistant, Optical consultant, Pharmacy dispenser

Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants work under the supervision of pharmacists and opticians or optometrists to dispense drugs and medicines, issue pre-packaged prescriptions, sell over-the-counter medication, dispense spectacles and contact lenses and other related products.

Main tasks

• Checks received prescriptions for legality and accuracy and confirms patients’ or customers’ details
• Maintains records of prescriptions received and drugs issued
• Checks stock levels, rotates stock, orders new stock from supplying companies and ensures that products are stored appropriately
• Arranges displays of merchandise
• Relays information to customers under the direction of pharmacist and opticians or optometrists
• Carries out sales transaction, wraps and packages goods

How to become one

Entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by study towards vocational qualifications. NVQs/ SVQs are available in relevant areas and at various levels, and apprenticeships may be available.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Pharmacy services assistant (level 2). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0299.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £23,783 a year The middle half earn £21,536 to null.
• About 116,300 people work in this job now, and about 110,600 are projected by 2035. (-4.9%)

Related jobs

• Sales and retail assistants
• Retail cashiers and check-out operators
• Telephone salespersons
• Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a pharmacy and optical dispensing assistant?

Entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by study towards vocational qualifications. NVQs/ SVQs are available in relevant areas and at various levels, and apprenticeships may be available.

How much does a pharmacy and optical dispensing assistant earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £23,783 a year (Office for National Statistics).

Is a pharmacy and optical dispensing assistant a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2035, from about 116,300 to about 110,600 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a pharmacy and optical dispensing assistant?

Not always. 31% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Pharmacy services assistant (level 2).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03