American Pharmacists Month

Know your MEDICINE know your PHARMACIST

Fall is here, and more importantly my favorite month is here! I might have some personal bias for October being my favorite month due to the fact it contains my birthday, but October is also great for many other reasons. The leaves are changing color, the cooler weather has arrived, harvest is in full swing, Halloween is only a few weeks away, and it is American Pharmacists Month!

A whole month dedicated to pharmacists, just one more reason to love October! The campaign for this year's American Pharmacists Month is, Know your MEDICINE know your PHARMACIST. This core message will serve to educate others about what pharmacists do and how they can help patients with their healthcare decisions.

The objectives for this month can be found on the American Pharmacists Association's website and include:

• To recognize the vital contributions made by pharmacists to health care in the United States.

• To enhance the image of pharmacists as the medication experts and an integral part of the health care team, not just as dispensers of medications.

• To educate the public, policy makers, pharmacists, and other health care professionals about the key role played by pharmacists in reducing overall health care costs by improved medication use and advanced patient care.

• To stress the importance of Knowing Your Medicine and Knowing Your Pharmacist to ensure drug therapy is as safe and effective as possible.

I encourage you to get to know your medicine and your pharmacist this month. Take a few minutes to review your medications, if any questions arise a pharmacist is only a phone call away. The next time you are in the pharmacy try to work toward developing a relationship with your pharmacist. They can be your most valuable and accessible resource when it comes to answering your healthcare questions.

To learn more about some of the things a pharmacist does and why a relationship with your pharmacist is important watch the video You and Your Pharmacist: A Winning Team.

After watching the video did you learn anything about what a pharmacist does? Did anything surprise you? What are some things you will do this month to take an active role in your healthcare? How are you going to get to know your medicine and your pharmacist this month?