Article
Show Your Pharmacists Some Love, You're Going to Need Them This Cold and Flu Season
Pharmacists Can Be Your Best Resource to Stay Healthy
PLAINSBORO, N.J.—October 1, 2014—October is a crucial month in the pharmacy world for pharmacists and consumers alike. With cold and flu season around the corner, October—American Pharmacists Month—is the time for consumers to get vaccinated, stock medicine cabinets, and get to know their local health care team behind the pharmacy counter.
“Know your medicine, know your pharmacist” is the theme of this annual recognition of pharmacists, one of the industry’s most important health care professions. Pharmacy Times, the leading pharmacy journal, is encouraging consumers to maximize the relationship with their pharmacist this October.
Pharmacists—More Available than Doctors
Cold and flu season means more visits to the doctor—and longer wait times for appointments. According to a recent Merritt Hawkins study, the average wait time for a physician appointment across US cities is as long as 18.5 days, while the average wait time to see a pharmacist is mere minutes. In fact, pharmacists are recognized as being the most accessible health care professionals in the community.
Industry studies cite an aging baby boomer population, the new health care law, and an increase in patients with insurance as some of the chief reasons for the long wait to see a doctor. During the peak cold and flu season, the need for pharmacy services will grow.
Today, pharmacists can provide a wide range of care, from administering vaccines for flu, whooping cough, and pneumonia, to helping to monitor chronic diseases. Surprisingly, this wellness resource is underutilized by consumers—but as pharmacists continue finding new ways to come out from behind the counter to help patients, their role continues to expand.
Consumers in Control: The 2014-2015 OTC Guide™
As health care becomes more patient-centered, all health care providers must shift their focus to widening their health care offerings and wellness services for patients. Consumers will have more options and more control of their health than ever before.
Pharmacy Times is the #1 pharmacy publication and a strong advocate for the pharmacist. In collaboration with U.S. News & World Report, Pharmacy Times publishes the OTC Guide™, which ranks by category the top-recommended over-the-counter products for consumers.
In September 2014, Pharmacy Times released all-new Patient Guides for cough/cold medicines, vitamins, and supplements, to keep consumers healthy this cold and flu season. These guides can help patients choose products recommended by pharmacists and stock their medicine cabinets.
The OTC Guide™ is also available as a mobile app, allowing patients and pharmacists to bring these rankings right into the pharmacy aisle. It is available for Android and iOS devices.
To learn more, visit www.pharmacytimes.com and http://health.usnews.com/health-products.
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About Pharmacy Times
Pharmacy Times is the industry’s leading publication, providing practical clinical information pharmacists can use in their everyday practices when counseling patients and interacting with physicians. Each issue contains articles and features covering medication errors, drug interactions, patient education, pharmacy technology, disease state management, patient counseling, product news, pharmacy law, and specialty pharmacy. The Pharmacy Times Office of Continuing Professional Education (PTOCPE) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Learn more at www.PharmacyTimes.com, or write to info@pharmacytimes.com, call 609-716-7777, or visit us on Facebook and on Twitter. Pharmacy Times is published by Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc, a leading provider of health care publications, research, information, and education.
Available for Interviews:
Bea Riemschneider, Vice President and Group Editorial Director, Pharmacy Times
Ashley Hennessy Talamo, Publisher, Pharmacy Times
Media Contacts:
Courtney Dysart
For Pharmacy Times
215-237-7431
