Retail Assistant

Main Purpose of Role

To support the smooth running of the pharmacy by providing friendly customer service, maintaining the retail area, assisting with stock and administration, and supporting the pharmacist and dispensary team within the limits of the retail assistant role.

Key Duties

Customer Service

● Welcome customers and provide helpful, polite, and professional service.
● Assist customers to locate retail products.
● Support a friendly, community-focused pharmacy environment.
● Handle customer enquiries professionally and escalate complaints where needed.
● Refer all medicine, prescription, symptom, health, treatment, or clinical questions to the pharmacist.
● Avoid giving medicine or treatment advice unless authorised and within scope.

Retail

● Operate the till and EFTPOS system.
● Process sales, refunds, loyalty cards, gift cards, and promotions as instructed.
● Stock shelves and maintain product displays.
● Price products and assist with stock rotation.
● Check expiry dates where required.
● Keep shelves, counters, and customer areas tidy, clean, and well presented.
● Assist with retail promotions, merchandising, and seasonal displays.

Prescription Receiving Support

● Receive prescriptions and pass them to the pharmacist or dispensary team.
● Collect required patient details accurately.
● Ask for or record child weight for children under 13 where required by pharmacy procedure.
● Maintain privacy and confidentiality at all times.
● Follow pharmacy procedures for receiving prescriptions and handling patient information.
● Refer all clinical, medicine, prescription, or health-related queries to the pharmacist.

SOPs, Compliance, and Safety

● Follow all pharmacy SOPs, policies, procedures, and pharmacist or manager instructions.
● Work within the limits of the retail assistant role at all times.
● Maintain patient and customer privacy and confidentiality.
● Follow health and safety, incident reporting, cleaning, stock handling, and privacy procedures where relevant.
● Report hazards, errors, near misses, complaints, damaged stock, or unusual issues to the pharmacist or manager.
● Handle customer, patient, and pharmacy information carefully and confidentially.

Administration

● Assist with phone calls, emails, filing, printing, scanning, forms, and general paperwork.
● Assist with supplier deliveries, invoices, and stock records as instructed.
● Help maintain pharmacy documents and records as required.
● Assist with labels, price tickets, loyalty cards, customer forms, delivery records, and other retail or admin processes.

Cleaning and Presentation

● Keep the pharmacy clean, tidy, and professional.
● Assist with cleaning shelves, counters, consultation areas, customer areas, and staff areas.
● Report maintenance issues, hazards, or damaged stock.
● Help maintain a professional and welcoming retail environment.

Deliveries and Errands

● Assist with local deliveries, errands, or stock movement where required and agreed.
● Follow pharmacy privacy and delivery procedures at all times.
● Handle customer, patient, and pharmacy items carefully and confidentially.

Required Skills and Attributes

● Friendly and professional communication.
● Reliable and punctual.
● Good attention to detail.
● Willingness to learn.
● Ability to follow instructions, SOPs, and pharmacy procedures.
● Respect for privacy and confidentiality.
● Comfortable working in a healthcare retail environment.
● Able to work calmly and respectfully with customers, patients, staff, suppliers, contractors, and healthcare professionals.