Pharmacist

What does a pharmacist do?

A pharmacist prepares and dispenses medicines against prescriptions, checks that each one is safe for the patient, and explains how to take it.

The job also covers checking the quality of drugs and storing them so they stay effective.

In Singapore, pharmacists work in public hospitals and polyclinics, private hospitals, community pharmacies and clinics. Others work in industry, such as regulatory affairs or drug supply. You must be registered with the Singapore Pharmacy Council (SPC) to practise.

You work with doctors, nurses, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants and patients. In a hospital you also join ward rounds and talk to specialists about drug choices and doses.

What the work involves

• Check each prescription for the right drug, dose, route and timing, and for clashes with the patient's other medicines.
• Call the prescribing doctor when an order looks unsafe or unclear, and record what was agreed.
• Counsel patients on how and when to take their medicines, side effects to watch for, and what to avoid.
• Supervise pharmacy technicians and assistants who pick, label and pack medicines, and check their work before release.
• Update patient medication records in the electronic medical records (EMR) system, and review stock, expiry dates and storage conditions.

Pay in Singapore

Back to top

Skills a pharmacist needs

Back to top

Pharmacist job description

We are hiring a pharmacist to dispense and review medicines, counsel patients and keep medication use safe.

You will work in a team of pharmacists, technicians and clinicians. You will follow Singapore pharmacy law and workplace procedures, and record your work in the EMR system. Registration with the Singapore Pharmacy Council is required.

Responsibilities

• Review and verify prescriptions for correct drug, dose, frequency, route and duration.
• Dispense medicines and make up preparations according to prescriptions or approved formulae.
• Check for allergies, duplicate therapy and drug interactions before release.
• Counsel patients and caregivers on medicine use, side effects and storage.
• Contact prescribers to clarify orders and suggest safer options when needed.
• Keep accurate records of dispensing, including controlled drugs, and follow audit rules.
• Check the quality, labelling and storage of stock, and remove expired or damaged items.
• Guide and check the work of pharmacy technicians and assistants.
• Report medication errors and near misses, and help to find the cause and fix it.
• Update patient medication records in the EMR system.

Requirements

• A pharmacy degree recognised for registration in Singapore, typically a four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy.
• Completion of the supervised training period and registration with the Singapore Pharmacy Council.
• Fresh graduates are usually accepted for entry roles. Hospital and specialist roles often ask for 2 to 5 years of experience.
• Working knowledge of an EMR or pharmacy dispensing system.
• Clear spoken English for patient counselling. Mandarin, Malay or Tamil is useful in community settings.

Back to top

Pharmacist career path

Most pharmacists start in a hospital, polyclinic or community pharmacy and move up through senior clinical or management roles.

Some move into industry or regulatory work.

1. Pharmacist (pre-registration or junior)

   Entry

   You dispense under guidance, learn local procedures and complete the supervised training needed for registration.

2. Registered pharmacist

   Mid

   You work on your own in dispensing, counselling and ward or clinic support, and you guide technicians and new colleagues.

3. Senior or clinical pharmacist

   Senior

   You take on complex patients or a specialty, such as oncology or infectious diseases, and advise doctors on drug therapy.

4. Principal pharmacist or pharmacy manager

   Lead

   You run a team or outlet, set work procedures, manage stock and training, and handle audits.

5. Chief pharmacist or director of pharmacy

   Head

   You lead pharmacy services for an institution or chain, and answer for safety, compliance and budgets.

The titles are ones commonly used in Singapore; employers may name the levels differently.

Related jobs and their pay

Back to top

Pharmacist interview questions

We wrote these questions from the skills this job needs. They are not an official question bank.

1. A prescription for a child shows a dose that looks too high. How do you check it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Confirm the child's age, weight and indication from the record
   • Calculate the dose per kilogram and compare it with an approved reference
   • Check the maximum daily dose and the dosing frequency
   • Contact the prescriber before dispensing and document the outcome

2. Walk me through your checks from receiving a prescription to handing over the medicine.

   What a good answer covers

   • Verify patient identity and prescription validity
   • Check drug, dose, route, frequency and duration
   • Screen for allergies and interactions
   • Do a final check of the label and product against the order
   • Counsel the patient and record the dispensing

3. How do you screen a patient on warfarin for drug interactions?

   What a good answer covers

   • Review all current medicines, including over-the-counter and herbal products
   • Name common interacting drug classes, such as some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories
   • Note the need for INR monitoring after a change
   • Tell the patient which signs of bleeding to report

4. How would you counsel a patient who is starting insulin for the first time?

   What a good answer covers

   • Check what the patient already understands
   • Demonstrate injection technique and site rotation
   • Explain hypoglycaemia signs and what to do
   • Cover storage, needle disposal and follow-up
   • Ask the patient to repeat key steps back to you

5. What are the storage requirements for medicines that need cold storage, and how do you monitor them?

   What a good answer covers

   • State that these medicines are kept within a set temperature range
   • Use a thermometer or logger and record readings
   • Describe what to do after a temperature excursion, such as quarantining stock and seeking advice
   • Mention stock rotation by expiry date

6. How do you record and reconcile a patient's medicines in the EMR when they are admitted to hospital?

   What a good answer covers

   • Collect a full medicine history from the patient, caregiver and records
   • Compare it with the admission orders and flag differences
   • Resolve gaps with the doctor and record the decision
   • Keep the EMR entry accurate for discharge

7. What is a sound-alike or look-alike drug risk, and how do you reduce it in a pharmacy?

   What a good answer covers

   • Explain that similar names or packs lead to picking errors
   • Separate and label high-risk items clearly
   • Use barcode scanning or a second check where available
   • Report near misses so the team can fix the cause

1. A patient says the medicine you dispensed looks different from last time. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Take the concern seriously
   • Check the dispensing record, product and label against the prescription
   • Explain if it is a different brand of the same drug, and show how you confirmed that
   • If you find an error, secure the patient's safety, inform the prescriber and report it

2. It is the evening rush and a doctor calls to change a dose while three patients wait. How do you handle it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Note the change in writing and read it back to confirm
   • Update the order and re-check for interactions
   • Keep the other prescriptions moving, with technicians handling picking
   • Tell waiting patients the expected time

3. A customer asks for a large amount of a cough medicine that can be misused. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Ask about the reason and who it is for
   • Check the sales limits and records your workplace requires
   • Decline or refer to a doctor if the request is not appropriate
   • Document the case and tell your supervisor if you suspect misuse

1. Tell me about a time you found a mistake made by a colleague. How did you raise it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Describe the situation briefly and factually
   • Show that you protected the patient first
   • Explain how you spoke to the colleague without blame
   • State what changed afterwards

2. Describe a time you explained a difficult medicine instruction to an anxious or elderly patient.

   What a good answer covers

   • Show how you adjusted your words and pace
   • Use of teach-back or written aids
   • Involve a caregiver where it helps
   • Say how you knew the patient understood

1. How do you protect patient information when working in a pharmacy under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)?

   What a good answer covers

   • Collect and use patient data only for care purposes
   • Discuss medicines only where others cannot overhear
   • Limit EMR access to those who need it
   • Follow your employer's rules for sharing information with other providers
   • Report a data breach to your data protection officer

2. Which Singapore bodies govern the work of a pharmacist, and how does each affect your daily practice?

   What a good answer covers

   • Singapore Pharmacy Council for registration and professional conduct
   • Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for the regulation of medicines and controlled drugs
   • Ministry of Health (MOH) for healthcare policy and institution licensing
   • Give a practical example, such as controlled drug records

Common questions about a pharmacist job

Sources