Pharmacist Interview Questions & Answers

Pharmacists are essential members of the medical community since they are the ones who provide medicine to sufferers on account of doctors. They also provide advice to individuals or patients on how to take care of their health, what foods to eat while taking medications, when to take medications, and so on. 

Pharmacists are now focusing on creating medications to meet the specific needs of their patients.

Top 21 Questions And Answers For Pharmacist Interview To Score High 

1. What made you decide to pursue a profession in pharmacy?

Sample Answer

I have always been interested in medicine since I was a child. The most exciting component of the work, though, is learning how drugs heal different diseases.

2. What about this work appeals to you the most?

Sample Answer

Whether those are training patients about how to consume their medicines, tamping down their fears about possible dangers, or just promptly and joyfully reloading their medications, I prefer to help people in a productive manner.

3. How do you stay up to date on new medications and fashion trends?

Sample Answer

Pharmaceutical Today, Periodic Prescription Allusion, and United States Pharmacists are among the publications I receive regularly.

I also inform people of my professional group about my findings to make myself answerable for viewing them.

4. How would you react if you found a drug mistake after the victim had left?

Sample Answer

Considering my institution’s disclosure requirements, I would immediately report the blunder and contact the concerned individual to caution them about not consuming the given medication and to send it back in the earliest possible manner.

After this, I would also pay an apology for the error, rectify the mistake, and, if possible, provide the product at a discounted price.

5. Tell us about such a moment when you had a work difficulty. What method did you use to tackle the problem?

Sample Answer

Two out of the three pharmaceutical technologists who were supposed to be together with me called in sick one day when I was employed at a neighborhood drugstore. I immediately contacted the other technologists who were not available to check whether they would come over for some time. 

I developed a tactic with the specialist who was present when I received it from them. It had been a long workday, but thanks to our system model and a few additional hours of employees, we were capable of keeping up with the demand.

6. Can a pharmacist supply a copy of a prescription?

Sample Answer

Yes, pharmacists are permitted to provide a copy of a prescription, but they may only do so for informative purposes. A pharmacist is unable to dispense medication based on a record of medication. If you lose your prescription, they can call your doctor using the credentials on the copy of the prescribed medication to give you a new one.

7. What mistakes should a pharmacist avoid while giving medication?

Sample Answer

• Incorrect information provided by the patient
• Drug information that is not correct
• Healthcare professional’s miscommunication
• Drug labels, packaging, and terminology are incorrect.
• Storage, standardization, and dispensing of pharmaceuticals in an ineffective manner
• Neglecting risk management and operational practices
• Procurement of a medicine delivery device in an ineffective manner

8. A consumer wants to buy a drug you have never heard of. What would you be doing if you were in this situation?

Sample Answer 

When I meet with consumers, I try to appear upbeat and confident, so I would tell them I was not familiar with the prescription they mentioned. In case the difficulty was pronunciation, I would ask individuals to spell out the name. It is also a great idea to inquire about the product’s intended purpose. 

I would search the shop database to see whether we had the products and if I could not find it, I would suggest an alternate product after learning about the customer’s symptoms.

If the consumer was primarily concerned with the exact product, I would request their contact information and suggestions to approach them once I had completed my investigation to see if we would buy it or give further information.

9. What challenges do you confront as a pharmacist?

Inability to read prescriptions and using a control medication to administer to examine if there are any drug interactions with prescription medications are some of the challenges.

10. Can you explain why your doctor prefers antibiotics over antiviral medications when you have a viral infection?

Sample Answer

Antibiotics are prescribed without a test because antibiotics cause the majority of infectious diseases. While antibiotics are less efficient against viral infections, they have fewer side effects and a wider spectrum than antivirals. 

Antivirals have a narrow range of action, which means they are only effective against a small number of viruses. Only antivirals are administered in severe cases.

11. What is the NABP’s mission?

Sample Answer

The Electronic Licensure Transfer Program of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) allows licensed pharmacists to effortlessly transfer their existing pharmacist licenses from one state to another.

12. How would you handle employee discontent at a pharmacy? Could you provide an example?

Sample Answer

Working at a pharmacy necessitates tight collaboration with other employees, and we must function as a cohesive one. I had to handle a conflict between the pharmacy techs at my former job. The most essential thing, in my opinion, is to figure out what is causing the issue and then figure out how to settle it. 

I spoke with the techs separately to get their perspective on the incident. Because the other technician frequently had to take time off of work to care about her children, one of the experts thought they were being disproportionately affected with more work.

13. What is a peak flow meter, and how does it work?

Sample Answer

A peak flow meter is a low-cost instrument that may be used to evaluate a patient’s current asthma management. It enables patients to keep track of their Asthma symptoms and severity. It calculates the rate of peak expiratory flow (PEF).

14. Is it legal for a controlled substance to administer prescribed medication for a quantity that is less than the original price?

Sample Answer

Yes, federal guidelines allow partial refills of schedules 3 as well as 4 of the prohibited substance medications as long as the partial refilling is documented and distributed in the same manner as any other refill, the overall amount discharged in all incomplete stuffing should not surpass the legally allowed amount that is recommended, and no such dose occurs exceeding six months post the date of issuance.

15. What is NCPDP and how does it work?

Sample Answer

Before anything else, a pharmacy must register with NCPDP, a database provider that permits them to charge. Each pharmacy is assigned a unique number by NCPDP, which is used to identify it for monitoring and billing.

16. What exactly is PBM?

Sample Answer

PBM is an acronym for Pharmacy Benefits Manager; this is a third-party supervisor of prescription medicine programs, although it can also be a provider inside a larger healthcare system. It is in charge of scheduling and purchasing prescription medications.

17. What is the significance of pharmacist insurance?

Sample Answer

Patients sue doctors in urgent situations, but pharmacists are not immune. As a result, insurance can assist you in paying for your legal strategy while also protecting your licensing rights.

18. How do you handle your prescriptions?

Sample Answer

Following the processing of the patient’s prescription, we proceed to the next stage.

• Drop off the Prescriptions: When we get a prescription, we immediately contact the doctors, and the insurance company has to ensure that we have the necessary authorization to deliver the medication.
• Benefits Investigation: When it comes to specialty prescriptions, we go above and above to comprehend the advantage and negotiate with the patient’s insurance policy and the physician to get him started on therapy as quickly as feasible.
• Medication Pickup: If the patients are waiting for a medication to be approved, we will contact them to arrange for a pickup at a time that is appropriate for them.

19. Do pharmacists have the ability to administer EC (Emergency Contraception) to women under the age of 17?

Sample Answer

Yes, pharmacists can administer EC to women under the age of 17, and it can be purchased without a prescription from shop shelves.

20. What are the responsibilities of a pharmacy technician?

Sample Answer

A pharmacy technician‘s responsibilities include the following:

1. Prescriptions are filled for patients.
2. Advising them on how to use prescriptions in a healthy and orderly manner
3. Keeping track of every prescription
4. Before every prescription is given out, obtaining payment or confirming insurance status is done.
5. Prescriptions must be kept under sterilized and sanitary storage conditions.
6. Infection control practices should be strictly adhered to. 

21. How do you counter stress in your daily life?

Sample Answer

I keep occupational stress at bay by arriving at work equipped throughout the day and guaranteeing that prescriptions are communicated properly.

Small jobs like inventory management, proper labeling, and medicine placement, while seemingly insignificant, are crucial to lowering stress and maintaining smooth pharmaceutical procedures all through the day.

References

1. https://europepmc.org/article/med/11777367
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc5774321/