Let's Celebrate Pharmacy Professionals and Their Invaluable Work

October is a big month in the pharmacy profession—a time to acknowledge the powerful impact pharmacists and pharmacy technicians make on patients and communities. Not only is it American Pharmacists Month, but we also celebrate Women Pharmacist Day on October 12, 2022, and Pharmacy Technician Day on October 18, 2022.

Pharmacy Times^® will be saluting pharmacists throughout the month to recognize their contributions to health care. Check out our coverage at PharmacyTimes.com.

One pharmacist who stands out is Matthew Pruitt, PharmD, site director of microfulfillment for Walgreens in Phoenix, Arizona. He is featured in this issue and on the cover and is the winner of the Parata Systems and Pharmacy Times^® Next-Generation Pharmacist^® of the Year award.

Pruitt said his greatest achievements include his “work with the first COVID-19 mass vaccination site in Arizona, [which] is one of the most fulfilling projects I have had the opportunity to help a team through and display how vital pharmacists are to the health care ecosystem. Additionally, my advocacy work to drive health equity along with helping mentor hundreds of student pharmacists and seeing them succeed and change the profession is high on the list.”

Since 2010, the Next-Generation Pharmacist^® program has honored pharmacists, technicians, students, and industry advocates who are defining the future of pharmacy in 10 categories. The winners, all featured in this issue, are a group of exceptional pharmacy professionals who have gone above and beyond in caring for patients and advancing the profession. Please join me in congratulating them for their extraordinary efforts to improve patient care.

In this month’s issue, Suzanne Soliman, PharmD, BCMAS, chief academic officer at the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs and founder of the Pharmacist Moms Group, the largest group of female pharmacists in the United States with more than 35,000 members, writes about Women Pharmacist Day and the significant achievements that women have made in the profession.

In addition, the October issue features articles on myriad topics, including the cover feature by Kathleen Kenny, PharmD, RPh, called “Know the COVID-19 Vaccine, Treatment Options,” which presents the latest information on helping patients stay healthy amid a continuously changing landscape.

We also hope you find the October technician supplement useful; it focuses on the contributions of these essential members of the pharmacy team.

Thanks for reading.