World Pharmacists Day (25) is being observed by various pharmacy associations and pharmacy retailers in the UK.
The Community Pharmacy England is celebrating the crucial role pharmacists play in improving access to healthcare, ensuring the responsible use of medicines, and so much more.
It said that this year’s theme, ‘Pharmacists: Meeting Global Health Needs,’ highlights the invaluable contributions of pharmacists as essential members of healthcare systems, emphasising their crucial role in addressing health needs within every community.
Community Pharmacy England chief executive Janet Morrison said, “On World Pharmacists Day we want to take a moment to thank our community pharmacy colleagues across England for all the work they do for their patients and communities every single day – you are providing a crucial service for the nation.
"The past year has been another important one for the sector, with the launch of Pharmacy First really putting the sector on the healthcare policy map and, for the first time, we saw pharmacy mentioned in all the major political party manifestos ahead of a general election. And yet, despite this positivity, we continue to hear heartbreaking stories about the impact of an ever-growing workload and pharmacy owners putting personal finances into their businesses to try and stay open.
"We are working to turn things around so that in the years to come we will see the skills of community pharmacists fully utilised to support their ambitions to improve public health and fix the nation’s healthcare problems – but this can only happen if the pharmacy sector is fully valued, supported and funded.”
National Pharmacy Association
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) in a LinkedIn post said this year’s theme, “Think Health, Think Pharmacist”, is a reminder of the essential role pharmacists play in strengthening health systems, improving access to care and ensuring the safe use of medicines.
In every community across the UK, pharmacists provide trusted advice, deliver vaccinations, support public health campaigns, and safeguard the rational use of medicines.
Today, we celebrate the profession’s impact and call on policymakers and the public alike to recognise that investing in pharmacists is investing in safer, stronger and more sustainable healthcare for all.
PAGB
The consumer healthcare association, in a LinkedIn post said this is a day to celebrate the pharmacy profession worldwide and amplify its essential contributions to stronger, more sustainable health systems.
In the UK, pharmacists play a critical role in supporting people to self-care and access advice, services, and medicines in their community. The Government’s 10 Year Health Plan also recognises this:
“As well as improving patient choice and convenience, there is now strong evidence that a bigger role for pharmacy can deliver efficiencies and support financial sustainability. Over the next 5 years, we will transition community pharmacy from being focused largely on dispensing medicines to becoming integral to the Neighbourhood Health Service, offering more clinical services.”
"In order to deliver the ambitions outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan for Neighbourhood Health Services to lead on prevention, it will be important to ensure that pharmacists play a more significant role in influencing the health choices people make to help them move from choosing GPs and A&E for self-treatable conditions to self-care."
Pharmacy2U
The online pharmacy retailer, in a LinkedIn post dedicated the World Pharmacists Day to its professionals leading the way in primary healthcare!
We’re celebrating our incredible team of pharmacists who provide expert advice, dispense medication, and ensure patient safety every single day.
Your skill and commitment are truly the backbone of our service, real pharmacists, serving real patients. A few of them even featured in our latest NHS Prescriptions ad campaign we launched this week - turns out we have a few hidden actors at Pharmacy2U too!
Boots
The retail chain has used the occasion to celebrate its "brilliant team of 4,900 pharmacists who show care, compassion, professionalism and expertise to our customers and patients every single day. A huge thank you to all our pharmacists for the vital role you play today and every day."
