Dispensing assistants pay rate

[JMW]

As pharmacist/partner in a small independant pharmacy in rural North East, I am concerned that we are underpaying our dispensing assistants ( all NPA trained ) Is anyone prepared to divulge the rate they are paying their staff please?
We interviewed someone recently who had been working in Brighton and claimed she had been getting £8.00 an hour as a dispensing assistant. I realise that there will be some difference between rates in the north and south but our staff are paid at lot less than that at present!!
Thanks.

[SolomonQ]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

does depend on the level of training, but all the non-ACT ones i've talked to dont even approach £6.50, never mind £8, but abviously in the rural north east if there is a shortage in adequatly trained workforce, then maybe she deserves something around the £6 mark until they prove themselves.

[JMW]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

We haven't tackled the ACT issue as yet but they all have the NPA dispensing assistants course qualification.
Thanks for the info though - I'd like to hear from others too.

[jaymags]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

As pharmacist/partner in a small independant pharmacy in rural North East, I am concerned that we are underpaying our dispensing assistants ( all NPA trained ) Is anyone prepared to divulge the rate they are paying their staff please?
We interviewed someone recently who had been working in Brighton and claimed she had been getting £8.00 an hour as a dispensing assistant. I realise that there will be some difference between rates in the north and south but our staff are paid at lot less than that at present!!
Thanks.

You don't say if the job is for part time or full time. My rate of pay sucks but because I have no travel expenses and work part time the pay could be seen as pretty good. I get just over £6.00 an hour and have been at the same pharmacy for 10 years plus. When I first started there I was on only £2.50 an hour with no holiday pay but I loved my job.I think it also depends on what staff discount you give on staff purchases if any.

[razorbladekisses]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

Where I work the dispenser (NVQ 2 qualified) gets around £8.00 per hour.

[jaymags]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

Where I work the dispenser (NVQ 2 qualified) gets around £8.00 per hour.

You don't say if you are part time or full time. I'd want £8.00 if I was full time. The rate of pay could also depend on extra resposibilities.

[JMW]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

We have 2 shops and 8 part-time,very loyal (4 have been with us 15 years+) staff. This query has arisen only because our newest staff member has left us and I've been looking for a full time replacement for her I don't thinks that a full time member of staff should necessarily be paid more per hour than a part time one unless they are to do a more responsible job. I have found a suitable candidate ( with NPA NVQ 2 - as have most of the existing staff) who has asked for more than I'm paying at the moment because she will have further to travel than her present post.
The postings so far do suggest that there is a big discrepancy thro the country tho!

[razorbladekisses]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

You don't say if you are part time or full time. I'd want £8.00 if I was full time. The rate of pay could also depend on extra resposibilities.

He works 30.5 hours a week so not a full-time person. He has no real responsibilities

[jaymags]

Re: Dispensing assistants pay rate

Not being a wages clerk I wouldn't know but if you were to pay full timers and part timers the same rate of pay wouldn't one of them lose out with tax and or national insurance? At the end of the day, in todays economic climate, it's physical take home pay that makes the difference.
I am relatively happy with my pay but like almost everyone else I feel I am not paid my worth but I still do my job to the best of my ability. Why should someone who is persistantly 5 or 10 minutes late every day get paid the same as someone who turns up 5 or 10 early every day? More fool them for bieng early? No it's the way some people are.