Celebrating Pharmacists – Their Dedication, Expertise, and Impact
October is American Pharmacists Month, a time to raise public awareness about pharmacists' essential role in healthcare and celebrate their dedication. We are thankful for the unwavering commitment and resilience of current and aspiring pharmacists, and the difference they make in the lives of their patients. During this designated month, the pharmacy community also joins together to discuss educational initiatives, industry concerns, and the future of the profession. This year’s American Pharmacists Month (APhM) theme, Caring for Our Communities, reflects their shared commitment to caring for and supporting the communities around them.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) describes American Pharmacists Month as “an opportunity to raise awareness about the vital role pharmacists play in healthcare and to honor their contributions to patient care.” Learn more about the many ways pharmacists care for our communities and ways to celebrate through October by visiting APhA’s American Pharmacists Month page.
Caring for Our Communities
Pharmacists Care for Our Communities
Discover the transformative role of pharmacists in caring for their communities through medication management and patient care.
Caring for Our Communities
What is American Pharmacists Month?
American Pharmacists Month is a relatively new designation, but efforts to appreciate pharmacists during October have been underway for decades.
According to the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), US-based radio stations began broadcasting content highlighting the role of pharmacists during one week of October in the mid-1920s. These special broadcasts were meant to spread public awareness about the evolving pharmacy profession.
In 2004, the APhA officially expanded the celebration from one week to a full month, recognizing October as National Pharmacists Month.
When are American Pharmacists Month and National Pharmacy Week?
American Pharmacist Month in the United States is celebrated each October, with the 2024 theme “Caring for Our Communities.” There are several opportunities to celebrate the contributions of pharmacists in October—shareable social media assets are available to help celebrate:
- American Pharmacists Month: Each month of October
- National Women Pharmacist Day: October 12
- National Pharmacy Week: October 21-27, 2024 (the third week of each October)
- National Pharmacy Technician Day: October 15, 2024 (the third Tuesday each October).)
Other celebrations throughout the year include:
- World Pharmacist Day, celebrated September 25
- National Pharmacist Day, celebrated January 12
Celebrate American Pharmacists Month
Surveys have found that people outside the healthcare industry often don’t understand the full scope of what pharmacists do, where they can work, and how they support the structure of the healthcare system.
Here are some facts you can share during American Pharmacists Month to help increase public recognition of the essential contributions pharmacists make toward healthier communities and better health care outcomes:
- Pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare professionals that patients see
- Community pharmacies are the most frequently visited healthcare destinations for patients, coming in ahead of urgent care centers and hospitals
- Fifty-eight percent of surveyed patients considered local pharmacies as their first stops for non-emergency medical care
- Community pharmacists are widely regarded as a powerful force for patient education, patient interaction, and patient care
- Research pharmacists may be less visible than the pharmacists you will meet at the drugstore or the hospital, but they work behind the scenes to test and develop life-saving drugs
- Pharmacists are consistently ranked by the public as some of the most trusted community professionals
- Pharmacists practice in a wide variety of work environments, including pharmaceutical companies, veterinary clinics, non-governmental organizations, tech startups, hospitals, and research settings
- Pharmacists play an important role in addressing the ongoing mental health crisis; a systematic review shows that pharmacists can improve medication adherence and reduce negative patient outcomes, like hospitalizations, by providing access to psychiatric and neurological medications
Caring for Our Communities
Pharmacy Career by the Numbers
In 2023, pharmacists in the U.S. earned a median annual salary of $136,030. Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow 5% through 2033, with nearly 14,200 job openings per year are projected over the next decade.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Top Pharmacist Jobs in 2023
Top Pharmacist Jobs in 2023
39.4% Pharmacies and Drug Retailers
28.4% Hospitals (State, Local, and Private)
13.2% Grocery & General Merchandise Stores
19% Other
Other workplaces include: 5.5% Ambulatory Healthcare Services, 2.2% Outpatient Services, 2.2% Physician's Offices, 2.1% Federal Government, 1.8% Management, and 1.6% Finance and Insurance.
Caring for Our Communities
Findlay's Distance PharmD FAQs
Considering advancing your career in pharmacy? Find answers to your frequently asked questions about the University of Findlay’s Distance PharmD program.
This innovatively designed program can be completed in 4 years (9 semesters) and includes online coursework (synchronous and asynchronous), 3 one-week campus immersions, and experiential learning in clinical settings.
Yes. Our faculty members are experienced pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences professionals who use an interactive teaching style and a system-based curriculum to support your personal and professional development.
The University of Findlay’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The University of Findlay is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The distance PharmD degree has one intake per year in the Fall.
Our live Information Session webinar and follow-up conversation with an enrollment advisor will help you determine if you qualify to apply, any required courses you may need to complete, and when you can expect to begin Findlay’s Distance PharmD program.
You can apply to the program before completing all prerequisites and Gen Ed (Core) courses, but you must complete your required courses to begin the program.
