Pharmacist Interview Questions

Are you getting ready for an important pharmacist job interview?

If you’ve made it to the interview stage, you have already impressed the employer with your resume. It is now time to prove that you have the real-life skills that your resume indicates.

Many people find interviewing for their dream job to be a very stressful process, and nerves can often get in the way. Therefore, it is essential to prepare what you are going to say ahead of time and put in plenty of practice.

So, let’s take a look at common pharmacist interview questions and the best way to answer them.

Pharmacist Interview Questions

The questions that you are asked during the interview will be designed to test your knowledge. You need to demonstrate that you have strong research skills and are detail-orientated. It is important to be able to answer the interview questions confidently and knowledgeably in order to impress the interviewer.

What inspired you to enter a career in medicine as a pharmacist?

This question is designed to assess your commitment to your profession and interest in the specific position. This question is usually asked at the start of the interview and is a good way of breaking the ice. Take the opportunity to share your story and background, highlighting your desire to helping people by providing excellent service.

There is no wrong way to answer this question, but it is important to be sincere and passionate. You need to be able to explain your desire to be a pharmacist clearly. If possible, refer to a strong pharmacist role model and how they inspired you to start on the career path.

What is the best aspect about being a Pharmacist?

In order to perform your job well during stressful situations, you need to be passionate about it. Your answer should reveal that you are proud to be part of the healthcare industry and enjoy assisting the public. Make sure your response is enthusiastic and extends beyond the technical and financial aspects of the job.

What made you to apply to our pharmacy?

This is the time to put the research you did into the pharmacy into good effect. The interviewer wants to be sure that you are committed to working for that particular pharmacy. When doing your research, highlight the company values and mission statement and refer to them in your answer.

How do you ensure that each customer feels seen when they come to you?

In order to provide quality patient care, you need to have strong communication skills and empathy. Your answer should highlight your active listening skills and the ability to put customers at ease. Provide working examples of how you have successfully achieved this in the past.

What are the key skills you learned in school?

It takes several years and a lot of dedication to become qualified as a pharmacist. Therefore, you need to have a strong interest in the subject in order to make it to graduation. You should be able to talk enthusiastically about your education and highlight soft skills like self-discipline and time management.

How do you minimize tension between other pharmacists?

It is important to maintain a good relationship with technicians to keep the atmosphere light and productive. When conflict arises, you need to be able to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible. Outline your technique for doing this and give an example of how you have done so in the past.

What would you do if a customer asks for an over-the-counter drug you have never heard of?

This question is designed to gauge how you respond to different types of job challenges. Customers need to have confidence in their pharmacist, and bluffing through the situation is likely to lose their trust. You should show that you are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that your customers are satisfied.

You should admit that you have not heard of the drug and check whether it is available in the store. If it is not available, you should offer to do research and suggest any comparable products available in the store.

What would you do if a customer demands a drug without a prescription?

This is a tricky situation that needs to be handled with care and skill. While you are committed to making customers happy, it is also essential to follow the rules. You should begin your answer by explaining that you would never provide drugs to customers without a prescription.

However, you also need to take steps to prevent the customer from becoming angry or aggressive. This is a good opportunity to display your strong communication and problem-solving skills. Give an example of how you successfully achieved this in the past, outlining the soft skills you used.

What do you do if a difficult customer’s medication is unavailable?

This is a potentially volatile situation that has to be handled with finesse. This situation could arise for a number of different reasons and can cause real problems for customers. It is important to apologize when giving the bad news, show compassion, and be willing to listen to their complaints.

Being able to smooth over difficult situations shows strong soft skills that are essential for pharmacists. You should explain that you would phone the customer to prevent them from wasting their time by going to the pharmacy. Give an example of a time when you did this in the past and the extra steps you took to ensure customer satisfaction.

What do you do if a customer says their medication is not working?

Part of the role of a pharmacist is advising patients on how to correctly take their medication and potential side effects. It is important to be able to listen to the patient and ask insightful questions to get to the root of the problem. Give an example of how you did this in the past to achieve a positive outcome.

What is the most important business aspect a pharmacist needs to be aware of?

Although working as a pharmacist is a technical profession, business is the bottom line. It is important for pharmacists to be aware of business techniques and to be able to make the pharmacy money. Your answer should demonstrate various different business techniques that you utilize to make and save the pharmacy money.

If you were a drug, which type of drug would you be and why?

This may seem like a rather odd question that is not connected to an interview situation. An interviewer is likely to ask this or a similar question to gauge your communication skills. This question forces you to think creatively and will allow your personality to shine through.

While the answer to the question is not important in itself, the way you answer the question is. The interviewer wants to see what is important to you and your problem-solving skills in action. Try to provide an interesting and even inspirational answer that will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Looking for More Superb Interview Advice?

Then, take a look at my informative guide to answering Why Do You Want to Work Here, as well as the best way of Answering Tell Me About Yourself in Interview or even Why We Should Hire You in 2023?

However, if you’re considering leaving your current job, you may need quality advice on How to Write a Resignation Letter. Or, for a look at the brighter side of the whole process, I would recommend reading Good Luck Finding Awesome Coworkers Like Us Again, Work Sucks!: A Funny View of a Serious Problem, as well as How to Quit Your Job Gracefully.

And, while on the subject of on the funny side, if you need a new T-shirt (but not one to wear to an interview) or mug, check out the Pharmacist Never Wrong Gift T-Shirt or the Pharmacist Pineapple Shirt. And for your morning coffee, how about the Younique Designs Unicorn Mug For Women Pharmacist or the Pharmacist Insulated Travel Mug.

Final Thoughts

Before the interview, it is important to research the company you plan to work for and adapt your answers. Highlight the required hard and soft skills in the job description as well as the job requirements. Make sure that the skills you emphasize when giving your answers match the job requirements.

In addition to highlighting your pharmaceutical knowledge, your answers need to emphasize your empathy and compassion. You should demonstrate a sincere passion for helping customers and an understanding of the importance of leadership. And remember to always practice your answers to the likely interview questions before the interview to make sure you are fully prepared.

Happy interviewing.