Monday marks the first day of October and the start of American Pharmacists Month, a celebration in support of pharmacists around the country. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) celebrates the accomplishments of pharmacists throughout the year but commemorates it during October by recognizing pharmacists’ contributions to health care and all they can do for their communities.

The 2018 American Pharmacists Month campaign theme and central message, Easy to Reach and Ready to Help, will bring awareness 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.

This summer’s historic natural disaster that hit parts of North Carolina and other areas in the southeast region has also focused attention on the role pharmacists play in public health planning and emergency preparedness. Whether it was distributing vital medications, setting up mobile pharmacies, or providing patient care, pharmacists in the immediate and surrounding affected areas answered the call to help those in need.

APhA will participate in various activities during the month-long observance, including a Capitol Hill briefing on October 17, where members of Congress and Congressional staff will hear from several pharmacists on how the pharmacy profession can help with the Nation’s opioid crisis.

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.

Please use #APhM2018 for your social media postings and e-mail any coverage, clips, and event photos to APhA at aphm@aphanet.org.