Celebrate the Everyday Work of Pharmacists

As American Pharmacists Month, October offers us a chance to take a step back to admire the hard work and dedication that pharmacists show day in and day out.

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The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the huge impact pharmacists can have on public health and their communities, through immunizations, counseling, and close relationships with patients. Although it can be easy to focus on large-scale projects and impacts, we should also take a moment to appreciate the daily work that is the foundation of pharmacy.

Medication therapy management (MTM) is one example, with daily opportunities to provide counseling and ensure adherence. In this issue, the MTM Consult article by Jennifer Gershman, PharmD, CPh, PACS, highlights several pharmacists who have leveraged MTM consultations to have significant impacts on their patients.

This month’s Pharmacist Spotlight, with Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP, also known as The Public Health Pharmacist, emphasizes the power of a single action. Madison says, “Public health is unique in the fact that when you help one person, you can help many.”

With each interaction, pharmacists have the opportunity to improve patients’ lives. That should be celebrated not only in October but every day.

Of course, we cannot forget about Women Pharmacist Day, happening on October 12. This month’s Independent Corner article, written by Karen Berger, PharmD, highlights 2 women pharmacists who opened a unique independent pharmacy in Edmond, Oklahoma, with a variety of services and an emphasis on community engagement. Pharmacy Times will be saluting women in pharmacy throughout the day on October 12 with interviews and other content about the strides they have made in their profession.

Pharmacy Technician Day, occurring on October 17, offers another opportunity to celebrate crucial pharmacy team members. Not only does our October technician supplement offer useful information for technicians, but it discusses the growing role technicians will play in the future of pharmacy.

This month’s issue features a variety of other topics, including the cover feature by Kathleen Kenny, PharmD, RPh, titled “Help Patients Manage Arthritis Pain.” Kenny reviews new medications that can be used as single agents or in combination to achieve the best treatment outcomes for patients with arthritis.

As always, thank you for reading. And most of all, thank you for your tireless patient care.