By the bioMérieux Connection Editors
Each October, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) organizes American Pharmacists Month, dedicated to recognizing the substantial contributions pharmacists make each day to support patient care.
Pharmacists play a vital role in the healthcare system, ensuring oversight and advisement for the substantially increasing number of prescription fulfillment requests each year. Many patients in the community are unaware that pharmacists have been extensively trained to provide an array of healthcare services stretching far beyond prescription management.
As essential healthcare workers, pharmacists work alongside physicians to expand options for patient care through comprehensive disease management. Responsibilities in these settings can include ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, developing therapeutic plans, and utilizing prescriptive authorities to adjust drug therapies.
Pharmacists Make Significant Contributions to Public Health
Pharmacists often participate in or lead organizational antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). ASPs are implemented to improve antibiotic usage in healthcare and protect the global community from the threat of antimicrobial resistance. Pharmacists’ knowledge of antimicrobials, coupled with the assistance of contemporary rapid diagnostic technology in the lab, make them invaluable for leading and contributing to ASPs.
Pharmacists have also played a critical role in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing the burden on healthcare systems through educating patients on telehealth services, administering vaccines, clarifying misconceptions about COVID-19 treatments, and contributing to COVID-19 screenings and triage. Alongside other healthcare professionals, pharmacists have helped manage drug shortages, develop treatment protocols, interpret lab results, and fill caregiver gaps to expand availability of COVID-19 outpatient monoclonal antibody therapy.
Support American Pharmacists Month
Pharmacists are invaluable to our healthcare system, and their contributions to support public health are vital to the community. Working with other healthcare professionals and patients, pharmacists help guide best practices and provide optimal therapy to support better patient outcomes.
This American Pharmacists Month, join us in showing appreciation and support to pharmacists and their essential team members. Below are some tips to help you engage on social media.
- Like, share, and retweet social content about American Pharmacists Month
- Tag APhA in your APhM2021 social content.
- Use the official APhM hashtags: #APhM2021, #pharmacistsmonth and #YouStandByUsAll
Opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of bioMérieux, Inc.
