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Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

Make Your Plans -
Pharmacy Month, Week and Day are Approaching!

by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President

October is National Pharmacy Month. The third full week in October, the 21st through the 27th, is National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week. And Tuesday, October 15th is National Pharmacy Technician Day. So even though it is August, it’s not too soon to start making plans to commemorate all three of these important celebrations!

So what’s a pharmacy department to do? A cake is always a good thing but probably not enough for something this auspicious. A pizza party for all shifts on any given day during that third week? We’re getting closer. How about table tents with pharmacy trivia in the cafeteria during the entire month? Simple facts about numbers of prescriptions filled in the U.S. annually, How many new drugs were approved by the FDA in 2018, and anything else you can find with a quick Google search! Now we’re cooking!

What about tent cards on patients’ meal trays during National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week letting them know that they have access to a pharmacist right there at their bedside if they have questions or concerns about their meds? You might need to invite the dietary supervisors to your pizza party to pull this one off, but it’s a great idea!

Whatever you do, don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate! If you’re not the director in your department, ask if you can help, or better yet - lead the celebration! If you don’t light the fire, no one will be able to cook! Let’s all make October a month to remember! I know I always do, it’s the month when I was born!