Next Tuesday marks the first day of October and the start of American Pharmacists Month (APhM), a celebration in support of pharmacists around the country. While the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has always celebrated the accomplishments of pharmacists, the Association officially launched American Pharmacists Month in 2004. Since then, APhA has used October to recognize pharmacists’ contributions to health care and all they do for their communities.

The APhM2019 campaign Pharmacists: Easy to Reach, Ready to Help will raise awareness among the public, patients, policy makers, and other stakeholders to the wide array of services pharmacists provide, emphasizing pharmacists’ accessibility and expertise in patient care. Examples of these services include pain management; over-the-counter and supplement suggestions; seasonal and lifespan immunizations; medication reviews to assess safety, effectiveness, interactions, and adherence; care management and counseling for disease states such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and high cholesterol; and smoking cessation counseling.

APhA will host several exciting events during the month-long observance to celebrate pharmacists, including a recognition of World Pharmacists Day on September 25, APhM selfie day on October 1, a recognition of National Women Pharmacist Day on October 12, and Pharmacy Technicians Day on October 15.

Additional details about the American Pharmacists Month campaign can be found on the new pharmacistsmonth.com website along with ideas for celebrations in all practice settings, including printable posters and signs, buttons, logos, and preplanned social media images and content.

Supporters of the profession of pharmacy are encouraged to use #APhM2019 for their social media postings. Samples of media coverage, video clips, and event photos may be sent to APhA at aphm@aphanet.org.