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Will I have to ring the cash register?  If you work in a retail (community) pharmacy, then yes, you probably will have to ring the cash register.

Is there anything special I should be aware of when ringing-out customer’s prescriptions?  Yes. There are added responsibilities when working a cash register in a pharmacy as opposed to other jobs. To name a few:

- You will be responsible for ensuring that strict patient confidentiality is always adhered to.

Never let anyone overhear or see what medication/s a patient is receiving and never let anyone overhear or see the personal information of a patient.

- You will be responsible for making sure the patient receives his or her own prescription.

Often, there are customers with the same or similar names that patronize the same pharmacy. Always be certain you are dealing with the correct prescription and customer – possibly by asking the address of the patient and comparing it to the address on the prescription receipt.

- You will be responsible for making sure the patient receives the correct number of prescriptions.

Often, multiple prescriptions are to be picked up at one time but may be in separate bags for some reason. – Ask the customer how many prescriptions he or she is picking up.

- You must always ask the customer if he or she "has any questions for the pharmacist about his or her medication/s"– and manually log their refusal or acceptance of pharmacist counseling.

- You will be responsible for ensuring that any notes attached to the prescription receipt are acted upon.

A note may be attached to (or written on) a prescription receipt for many possible reasons:
- Special counseling may be needed.
- The drug is being stored in the refrigerator.
- The drug needs to be mixed prior to dispensing.
- There may be a certain problem that needs to be addressed, etc.

- You will be responsible for always acting in a professional manner and providing customer service to the best of your ability.
Always treat people with the same respect and courtesy that you yourself would like to be treated.

What is "patient confidentiality"?  Patient confidentiality is the privacy every customer and patient must be provided. The health care profession takes patient confidentiality very seriously. The discussion of a patients medical conditions, therapy and personal information outside of the pharmacy is strictly prohibited. This information must never be overheard by other customers, by the non-pharmacy store staff or by pharmacy staff in a non-professional manner.  The importance of patient confidentiality can not be stressed enough.