PATHLENSA RISKATLAS.CO.ZA PRODUCT · SOUTH AFRICA
RISKATLAS.CO.ZA
Retail Pharmacist
OFO Code: 226203
Last checked 3 October 2026
1. Occupation identity
- OFO code
- 226203
- Occupation
- Retail Pharmacist
- Classification
- OFO 2021
- Major group
- PROFESSIONALS
- Unit group
- 2262 · Pharmacists
Official description
Pharmacists store, preserve, compound, and dispense medicinal products and counsel on the proper use and adverse effects of drugs and medicines following prescriptions issued by medical doctors and other health professionals. They contribute to researching, testing preparing, prescribing and monitoring medicinal therapies for optimising human health.
More official OFO detail
Specialisations: Community Pharmacist, Pharmacist Assistant, Dispensing Chemist
- Conducting research to develop and improve pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and related chemical products
- Advising clients on and supplying non-prescription medicines and diagnostic and therapeutic aids for common conditions
- Evaluating labels, packaging and advertising of drug products
- Developing information and risks of particular drugs
- Collaborating with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the medicine therapy of individual patients, and the effectiveness of particular drugs or therapies
- Providing information and advice to prescribers and clients regarding drug interactions, incompatibility and contra-indications, side effects, dosage and proper medication storage
- Maintaining prescription files and recording issue of narcotics, poisons and habit-forming drugs in accordance with legal and professional requirements
- Receiving prescriptions for medicinal products from medical doctors and other health professionals, checking patients' medicine histories, and ensuring proper dosage and methods of administration and drug compatibility before dispensing
- Preparing or supervising the preparation and labelling of liquid medicines, ointments, powders, tablets and other medications to fill prescriptions
- Storing and preserving vaccines, serums and other drugs subject to deterioration
- Testing and analysing drugs to determine their identity, purity and strength in relation to specified standards
- Conferring with chemists, engineering professionals and other professionals about manufacturing techniques and ingredients
2. Demand status
Demand evidence not yet linked
This is an official OFO 2021 occupation. Demand status is separate evidence and is not inferred from inclusion in the OFO.
A national demand signal is not a promise of a vacancy in your town.
3. Salary evidence
No sourced salary record has been ingested for this OFO code yet.
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5. Qualification
Qualification evidence pending.
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7. Industry, sector and provincial context
National occupation classification. Industry and provincial context are shown only where a separate official source supports the link.
No source-backed modern OFO↔SIC 7 industry link has been ingested for this occupation yet. PathLens does not infer one from the job title.
Browse the official South African industry classification →8. Next steps — official links
9. Decision tools
10. Sources for this page
- DHET Organising Framework for Occupations (OFO 2021) · Planned
- DHET Occupations in High Demand · Planned
- Critical Skills List · Planned
- QCTO qualifications and occupational certificates · Planned
- Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey · Planned
- SETA Sector Skills Plans / hard-to-fill vacancy tables · Planned