October is American Pharmacists Month

Pharmacists are an integral part of the healthcare system, and this month is dedicated to them. The goal of American Pharmacists Month is to promote the pharmacy profession, in an effort to help gain the attention you deserve from your patients, peers, and the community as a whole.

Spreading the Word – Outreach Ideas

• Decorate your pharmacy with balloons, banners, posters, and whatever else you feel is appropriate to let everyone know what you’re celebrating, and why.
• Coordinate efforts with other providers in your community to provide blood pressure screenings, immunizations, routine lab tests, cholesterol screenings, diagnose and treat common family illnesses and injuries, and other pharmacy care services.
• Add American Pharmacists Month messaging to your social media content for the entire month. Include it in your email newsletters, and on your website for the month.
• Change your phone greeting, and ask staff to answer the phone with something like, “Hello, this is [name] at [pharmacy name.] We’re celebrating American Pharmacists Month all October. Thank you for calling, how may I help you?”
• Add American Pharmacists Month stickers to all prescription bags, and other pharmacy related purchases, or change your bags all together for the month.
• Host an event for patients and other community members. Give them snacks or other special treats, then send them home with a goodie bag filled with educational materials, pill cases, magnets, and other useful freebies. Have someone serve as a greeter who can help demonstrate the prescription filling process. This will help patients and the general public further understand the importance of the role you play in their overall medical care.

Celebrating in Your Practice All Month Long

• Schedule special events throughout the month where patients can come face to face with their pharmacists. Give them ample time to ask questions, but also use the time to promote other services, like vaccinations and screenings.
• Host a weekly lunch just for the pharmacy team, where they can sit and relax while enjoying their meal. Nothing beats good food and content colleagues!
• Keep your social media calendar full of useful tips and information – including challenges to keep patients on track with medication adherence and staying healthy.

National Pharmacy Technician Day

Tuesday, October 18 is National Pharmacy Technician Day, so make sure to remind any non-pharmacy tech staff ahead of time, and set aside some of the day to celebrate the techs, too. Without the techs there to assist, many pharmacies wouldn’t run as smoothly as they to do, so take the initiative to show thanks for all they do throughout the year.

Pharmacists in all settings, be it a community setting, hospital or managed care, or long-term care, work hard to keep everyone safe and healthy, serving as the liaison between doctors and patients. They deserve to be celebrated for their contributions every day, so make the most of every day in October to show them just how awesome they are.

RPH On the Go is celebrating our pharmacists all month long! Follow our blog closely throughout the month, as we’ll announce a fun contest (with a chance to win prizes)! Until then, our latest pharmacy opportunities might spark an interest in changing up or furthering your career – check them out here.