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When you’re interviewing for a role as a pharmacist, the best thing you can do to prepare for your interview is to practice your answers to common interview questions.
Luckily, we’ve got some tips to help you interview better, some common pharmacist interview questions, and advice that can help you land your dream job.
Key Takeaways:As a candidate, your interviewer will assess your attention to detail, especially in the context of understanding and dispensing prescriptions correctly.
As an interviewer, look for candidates who have a level-headed eye for the details, as well as a thorough understanding of medications, laws, and regulations.
Looking for a job? These position are hiring now near you:
Tell me about yourself. This is a common interview question hiring managers use to break the ice. Take this opportunity to share what you love about your field and what unique experiences you bring to the table.
Example Answer:
“I’ve been a pharmacist for fifteen years, and I love getting to constantly learn new things and solve problems all while helping patients regain their health. Throughout my career, I’ve worked at small local pharmacies, in big-city hospitals, and everywhere in between. I even owned my own pharmacy for a few years.”
Tell me about your experience as a pharmacist. Interviewers ask this in order to get a better picture of what you’re bringing to the table. They can read about your work experience on your resume, too, but hearing you talk about it helps them see the bigger picture of how all of your positions weave together to create your unique history.
Example Answer:
“After I graduated in 2013, I started working at my hometown’s local pharmacy. I quickly got good experience doing a wide variety of basic pharmaceutical tasks, and I was managing the place just a few years later. In 2017, I got a job offer from a hospital in Chicago, where I’ve been ever since.”
“In that position, I’ve been able to learn how to handle a high-volume pharmacy with more complex orders and a larger team.”
Why did you become a pharmacist? This is another get-to-know-you question that gives you an opportunity to share your experience and passions.
Example Answer:
“I’ve always loved science, and I knew I wanted to help people with my career. Being a pharmacist seemed like a good way to use all of those passions. I started taking pharmacy classes and fell in love with it, and I’ve only fallen harder as I’ve been working in the industry.”
What do you like best about being a pharmacist? Employers want employees who are excited about their work, so interviewers will often ask this question to see what you love about your career.
Example Answer:
“I love getting to serve patients in practical ways, whether thats educating them about how to take their medications, alleviating their concerns about possible side effects, or simply refilling their prescriptions in a timely and pleasant manner.”
What do you like least about being a pharmacist? No one loves their work 100% of the time, and your interviewers want to hear what drains and challenges you. They also want to hear how you respond to that, though.
Example Answer:
“Even though I generally enjoy my work, working with a long stream of difficult customers becomes draining. However, I remind myself that when I’m in pain or worried about myself or a loved one, I’m not always pleasant either. This helps me focus on being kind and improving their days instead of on my irritation.”
What is your greatest strength? Your interviewers want to know what sets you apart from other candidates. Don’t be cocky, but be honest about what you’re good at.
Example Answer:
“My greatest strength is my ability to stay calm under pressure. I thrive when things get crazy, and my problem-solving skills are at their best when I need to find solutions fast.”
What is your greatest weakness? Your interviewers want to see that you know what your weak points are, but they also want to know that you’re working to overcome them, so make sure you include the steps you’re taking to do so in your answer.
Example Answer:
“I tend to be overly abrupt when I’m correcting someone, but I’ve been working to take a breath and think about how I can phrase things more kindly before I speak. My current colleagues have been helping me do this, and they said I’ve improved a lot over the past few months.”
Tell me about a time when you faced a problem at work. How did you solve it? Challenging situations are going to pop up at your job, and your interviewers want to know how you’ll handle them. Be specific in your answer and be sure to explain the results of your actions.
Example Answer:
“One day when I was working at a local pharmacy, two of the three pharmacy technicians who were supposed to be working with me called in sick. I quickly contacted the other technicians who weren’t scheduled to see if they could come in for even a few hours. Once I heard from them, I made a game plan with the technician who was there.”
“It was a stressful day, but our strategy for prioritizing orders and the few hours where we had extra help allowed us to keep up with our workload.”
Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult coworker. How did you handle it? Interviewers ask this question to get a better picture of your conflict management and general interpersonal skills. Give a specific example, including the end result of your efforts.
Example Answer:
“A colleague at my first job would nitpick about everything I did and purposely leave messes behind for me to clean up. I finally confronted him and asked if I had done something to offend him.”
“I learned that I had unintentionally thrown him under the bus in a meeting, and I apologized and asked if I could make it up to him. He asked me to set the record straight in the next meeting, so I did, and now we get along great.”
Tell me about a mistake you made while working. How did you respond? No one is perfect, but your interviewers want to see how you handle your mistakes. Talk about a specific example, and be sure to include what you’re doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Example Answer:
“At my first job, I took a prescription order and didn’t process it properly, so when the customer came to pick it up, it wasn’t ready. I realized what had happened, apologized, told her that it was going to be a little while longer, and I rushed to finish it.”
“When I gave her prescription to her, I apologized again and offered a discount. She accepted and is still a loyal customer. Since then, I’ve been much more meticulous when taking orders and haven’t made the same mistake again.”
What are three adjectives your coworkers would use to describe you? This is another opportunity to brag about yourself. Remember that hiring managers can actually contact your workplace to see what they’d say about you, though, so be truthful.
Example Answer:
“I believe my coworkers would describe me as enthusiastic, detailed, and a team player.”
What is your greatest accomplishment? Your interviewers want to hear what you’re most proud of. Be specific in your answer, and don’t forget to explain why it was a big deal.
Example Answer:
“My greatest accomplishment was having the owner of the local pharmacy where I worked offer to sell the business to me. While I couldn’t afford it at the time, it was a great honor to be so trusted.”
Where do you see yourself in five years? Your potential employer wants to hear your professional goals and aspirations to see how driven you are and if the company can help you get where you want to go.
Example Answer:
“In five years I hope to be a pharmacy manager, ideally at this organization.”
Why do you want to work here? Hiring managers want to know you’re invested in their company and the position. Show them that you’ve done your research and explain why you want to work at their particular organization.
Example Answer:
“I’ve respected the work that St. Francis has done in the community for a long time, and I was excited to see that this position was open. I respect your values of empathy and excellence, and I’d love to be a part of furthering those.”
Tell me about a time you explained a complicated medical treatment to a patient. Pharmacists have to have good teaching skills, so be ready to demonstrate yours in your interview.
Example Answer:
“I once explained to a patient that while one drug was taking care of his unseen illness, the other ones were to respond to the side effects of that medication. I explained that the main medication was something he needed to take day in and day out but that the others were for playing whack-a-mole with any symptoms he felt.”
What would you do if you noticed drug-seeking behavior in a patient? This is a common challenge that pharmacists face, so it’s natural that your interviewers will want to know how you handle it. Be as detailed as possible in your answer.
Example Answer:
“If I was able to, I would examine the patient to confirm their condition, and I’d thoroughly document the examination and the questions I asked. I would also call to confirm the patient’s contact information, and then I would call either their current or past physician or pharmacy to confirm the diagnosis and prescription.”
“After I had taken those steps and confirmed the prescription, I would keep a photocopy of the patient’s I.D. in their file and only prescribe limited quantities of the prescription.”
What would you do if a customer asked about an over-the-counter medication that you’ve never heard of? This is another challenge that you’ll probably face regularly, and your answer also demonstrates your problem-solving skills.
Example Answer:
“I would get as many details as possible and then let the patient know that I was unfamiliar with the medication but that I would look into it. I would then talk to my colleagues to see if they knew anything about it. If they didn’t, I’d inform the patient that I would have to look into it some more and would get back to them within 24 hours.”
How do you make yourself a better pharmacist? Employers in any industry want their employees to be constantly improving themselves. Explain the practical steps you take to do this.
Example Answer:
“I attend a professional conference each year, and I stay in contact with other pharmacists I meet there. We swap resources such as articles and online classes throughout the year to keep us learning and growing. Every few months I also ask my coworkers what I could be doing better.”
How do you stay up-to-date on new medications and trends? It’s important to stay relevant in your field, and hiring managers want to know that you’ll do this on your own. Share specific publications and other resources you use.
Example Answer:
“I subscribe to several publications, including Pharmacy Times, Monthly Prescribing Reference, and U.S. Pharmacist. I also discuss my findings with members of the professional organization I’m a part of to keep me accountable in reading them.”
How do you make sure that patients are educated about their medications? This is a large part of your responsibilities as a pharmacist, so it’s important you have a strategy to share with your interviewers.
Example Answer:
“With every patient, I always ask if they have any questions. I also ask if the patient has ever taken the medication before, and if not, I let them know what it is, its purpose, its potential side effects, and that sharing or misusing it is dangerous. I also talk about when they should take it and if they should take it with food or not.”
How do you balance customer service and efficiency? It’s vital to strike this balance as a pharmacist, so make sure that you share your specific strategies for doing so.
Example Answer:
“I have to prioritize one or the other, and I prioritize customer service. I make sure I’m fully present when I’m with a customer, and I always ask them how they are and if they have any questions. When I’m not with a customer, I stay equally as present with my other tasks to ensure I’m getting them done as well.”
Do you have experience administering vaccines? It may be tempting to answer this with a simple yes or no, but make sure you expound by explaining what your experience is or that you’d be willing to learn.
Example Answer:
“During the four years I was at my last position, I administered vaccines weekly during slow seasons and daily during busy seasons.”
Is your license current? If the answer is no, be sure to explain your plan for renewing it.
Example Answer:
“It expires next month, but I’ve already applied for renewal, so I’m still cleared to practice while they go through the process of approving my application.”
If you were to realize you made a medication mistake after the patient left, what would you do? This is a more specific question designed to see how you respond to mistakes, solve problems, and handle ethical issues.
Be as specific as possible in your answer, but remember that organizations will have their own processes for handling this. The important thing is to make it clear that you would confront your mistake and work to fix it.
Example Answer:
“I would quickly report the error according to my organization’s reporting processes and call the patient to tell them not to take the medication and to bring it back as quickly as possible. I would then apologize, correct the mistake, and offer a discount if possible.”
Tell me about a time you dealt with a conflict between pharmacy technicians. If you’re applying for a management role, you’ll likely get questions like this. If you don’t have an example to share, explain what you would do in as much detail as possible.
Example Answer:
“While I was working in the position I have now, I had two pharmacy technicians who were always competing with each other, and it got to an unhealthy and disruptive place. One day I asked them both to meet with me before the store opened, and I explained why it had become a problem.”
“I implemented some new rules that wouldn’t allow them to see each others’ records and asked them to focus on doing their own jobs well. I also scheduled them for different shifts for a few days until they got used to focusing on their own work. They were apologetic and cooperative, and they’ve been great ever since.”
Tell me about a time you went above and beyond at work. Companies want to hire people who are going to give their all to their jobs. Show how you’re a team player, a self-starter, and a diligent worker in your answer.
Example Answer:
“There were a few weeks at my first job where we were especially busy, and our supervisor had just had a baby, so she was out. I would stay an hour late every night during that time to reset the office for the next morning, because I knew that doing so would help everyone start off the day on schedule and less stressed.”
What is the most important part of a pharmacist’s job from a business perspective? Pharmacies are businesses, too, so your interviewers want to know how you’ll help further their organization in that regard.
Example Answer:
“The most important part is to give the best care possible to patients. If we do that, they’ll keep coming back again and again, they’ll refer their friends, and we’ll reduce the amount of money lost on customer complaints. Without our customers, the business won’t make it.”
If you were a drug, what drug would you be and why? Off-the-wall questions like this one are common in interviews to see how well you think on your feet. There’s no one right answer, but try to find a way to highlight your qualifications and strengths.
Example Answer:
“I’d be a blood pressure medication, because I deal with issues behind the scenes in order to prevent them from showing up in more dramatic ways, and I work well with others.”
If a patient comes to the pharmacy with a half-used bottle of medication and says it doesn’t work, what do you do? This is another example of a common problem that interviewers want to see you handle.
Example Answer:
“I would first apologize, and then I would look more closely at the medication. If the patient needs to take the whole prescription in order for it to be effective, I would calmly explain that to them and ask them to come back once they’ve finished taking it to let us know how they’re doing.”
“If the fault was ours, I would do what was necessary to compensate the customer and save that relationship.”
Tell me about a time you didn’t meet a patient’s expectations. How did you handle it? You won’t always meet customers’ expectations, so interviewers want to know how you’ll respond when this happens.
Example Answer:
“When I was working at a pharmacy chain, due to a series of unusual events, I wasn’t able to fill a patient’s prescription in the time I had originally said I could. When they confronted me about it, I apologized, explained what had happened, and offered a discount on their next refill.”
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague. This is another question intended to give interviewers insight into your interpersonal skills. Share the specific steps you took to handle the disagreement and what happened after you did so.
Example Answer:
“A colleague at my last job disagreed with me on how I packaged a few medications. I politely asked him to explain why he thought the other way would be better, and then I explained my reasoning. We actually found a way that met both of our priorities, and our supervisor applauded our new system.”
What experience do you have working in a high-volume pharmacy? Different work environments require different skill sets, so hiring managers want to know if you’ll be able to thrive in their organization’s.
If you don’t have experience in this area, share about a similar experience where you had to keep up with a heavy workload or explain why you’d be able to thrive in a situation like this.
Example Answer:
“I worked in a large pharmacy for five years in a variety of capacities, which allowed me to better understand the benefits and challenges that come with a large facility.”
Give me an example of a time you had to do some research while on the job. Interviewers want to see that you’re adaptable and able to research solutions as you go.
Example Answer:
“I worked in a small town for six years, and we didn’t necessarily see a lot of variety as far as prescriptions went. So, when a regular patient came in with a prescription for a drug I was unfamiliar with, I had to look it up to make sure it wouldn’t interact with any of the other medications and supplements I knew she was taking.”
Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. How did you handle it? Every job brings stressful situations, and your interviewers want to see how you respond in those situations.
Example Answer:
“On my first day of work at my last job, we had six of the most complicated prescriptions I had ever seen come in all at once, and we were swamped at the counter. Plus, it was my first day, so I knew I needed to make a good impression.”
“I needed to concentrate on the prescriptions, so I made sure that my coworker was handling the front, and I told her that I would be back to help after I finished filling the complicated prescriptions. I did this, and as soon as we hit a lull, I asked her to come check my work. We did everything correctly, and our supervisor was impressed.”
Why should we hire you? This is a common way to end an interview, as it gives you the opportunity to sell yourself one final time. Talk about what makes you a unique candidate and the value you’d bring to the company.
Example Answer:
“My experience in both local pharmacies and large hospitals has given me a unique perspective and skill set that would allow me to further your customer relationships and your organization’s efficiency, both of which I know are pillars of your company values.”
How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration with other pharmacy technicians and support staff?
How would you handle a situation where a patient's medication is not covered by insurance? What steps would you take to find a suitable alternative?
How do you ensure medication safety and minimize the risk of medication errors in your daily practice?
Can you explain your familiarity with pharmacy software and technology systems used for dispensing and managing patient records?
How do you handle situations where you need to make clinical decisions or recommendations based on incomplete or conflicting information?
What is your approach to managing and organizing the inventory of medications in a pharmacy setting?
How do you ensure patient confidentiality and maintain privacy standards in your role as a pharmacist?
How do you stay organized and manage multiple responsibilities and priorities in a fast-paced pharmacy environment?
How do you handle medication recalls or shortages to ensure patient safety and continuity of care?
In what way do you approach medication adherence and medication therapy management to support patient outcomes?
All of the possible Interview questions for the Pharmacist job might seem overwhelming at first, but there are some effective steps you can take to prepare:
As a Candidate:Research. Look into the company you're applying for and try to discover how they typically dispense medications, common prescriptions you might encounter, etc. Going into your interview with this knowledge will make it easier to talk about your relevant skills.
Attention to Detail. Be prepared to provide examples of how you utilize your knowledge, organization, and more to get the details just right. This skill is particularly crucial in a job where your ability to pay attention can put people's lives at stake.
Cool Under Pressure. Compose specific examples of times when you were able to handle a fast-paced or stressful environment. Pharmacists often have to provide accurate, timely services to many people, meaning that keeping your cool is essential.
Review the Job Description. Use the job description to construct your ideal candidate, but do not overlook candidates who are proven to be detail-orientated and good communicators.
Explain Responsibilities. Ensure your candidates are aware of the responsibilities they would have as an pharmacist. This includes things like how the facility typically operates, how many people they might expect to service, and more.
Provide a Timeline. Provide your prospective pharmacist with an accurate hiring process timeline.