St. Johann: Apprentices fight for the title of the best PKA in Salzburg!

St. Johann: Apprentices fight for the title of the best PKA in Salzburg!

On May 27, 2025, the state apprenticeship competition for pharmaceutical-commercial assistants (PKA) took place in St. Johann im Pongau, in which 15 aspiring pharmacists from Salzburg took part. The competition tested the practical skills of the apprentices and included various tasks covering both theoretical and practical aspects of PKA training. The competition is an annual event and is considered the highlight of the training for the participants, who must not be older than 23 years and have attended their vocational school in Austria. Around 130 PKA apprentices are currently training at the state vocational school in St. Johann im Pongau.

The winner of this year's competition is Magdalena Herzog from the Pinzgau Apotheke in Saalfelden, who prevailed against her competitors. Theresa Huttegger from the pharmacy in AGZ in Altenmarkt took second place, while Sophia Emilie Singhammer from the Wals pharmacy in Wals took third place. Margarete Olesko, President of the Salzburg Chamber of Pharmacists, praised the commitment of the apprentices, who had prepared intensively for the competition.

Competition tasks in detail

The competition tasks were diverse and included, among other things:

• Laborarbeit: Herstellung von Salben, Kapseln oder Zäpfchen.
• Warenpräsentation und Merchandising: Gestaltung eines Aktionsplakats, Dekoration und Social-Media-Beitrag.
• Verkaufsgespräch: Simulation realistischer Beratungssituationen in der Apotheke.

The best performances were awarded certificates and prize money, which should further increase the motivation of the apprentices.

The role of the PKA and its training

PCAs take on important organizational and commercial tasks in pharmacies. You provide support in inventory management and advise customers on over-the-counter items. The PKA apprenticeship usually lasts three years, although high school graduates can complete their training in just two years. The training includes both vocational school and practical work in a pharmacy and ends with a final apprenticeship examination.

In a broader context, it is clear that the importance of pharmacists and PCAs in society is constantly growing. In particular, the shortage of skilled workers in Germany, which is due to demographic reasons and is noticeable in many industries, highlights the need to optimize training paths for skilled workers and to promote the integration of people with foreign professional qualifications. Information on the recognition of foreign qualifications and improving qualifications is available on specialized information portals, which also applies to pharmacists' chambers responsible for the recognition of PKA qualifications.

The competition is therefore not only a platform for aspiring pharmacists in Austria, but is also in line with the current challenges on the labor market, which are characterized by a decisive demographic change. The combination of training, resilience and adaptation to the changing needs of the healthcare industry will continue to be of great importance.