National Pharmacist Day:

Celebrated annually on 12th January, The National Pharmacist Day recognizes one of the most important health care professionals and their contributions to society.

Twitter Hashtags:

#NationalPharmacistDay

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Related: Other National Days Celebrated on January 12th:

National Curried Chicken Day

National Marzipan Day

Kiss A Ginger Day

Why National Pharmacist Day?

Pharmacists also are known as druggists or chemists take up one of the indispensable roles in the medical faculty. Traditionally a pharmacist is seen as a white coat adorned, the pill dispensing machine standing behind the counters. Pharmacists are usually considered to be responsible for checking the medications and distributing them to patients and doctors.

With a shortage of primary care physicians, pharmacists have come to our rescue! Pharmacists have expanded roles and are directly involved in patient care and act as a bridge between the doctor and the patient. With their knowledge of the various mechanisms of action, composition, and side-effects of drugs, they are qualified to advise patients, pharmaceuticals, and health care providers on safe drug usage and administration. Though pharmacists are trained to compound medicines, in recent years pharmaceutical companies have taken up this role of large-scale production of standard dosage drugs and delivery systems.

Depending on their jurisdiction and laws regulating their practice, pharmacists can independently prescribe medicine with prescriptive authority or based on a collaborative practice agreement with a physician. In a few countries, pharmacists are qualified to provide immunization too! They are also involved in monitoring the health of the population by taking up the responsibility, management, and follow-up of individual patients known as Pharmaceutical care. This strategy has been instrumental in decreasing medication mishaps and long-term medication costs as a result of higher patient compliance and better disease management. Besides practice, pharmacists are also involved in research and testing medications. Pharmacists can also specialize in particular fields of interest like oncology.

When it comes to their grueling work which involves long hours of standing and dealing with patients of all temperaments all day long, no pharmacist will refuse to attend to your queries and needs. In addition to the academic qualifications and nerdy tendencies, a good pharmacist is the right dosage of various skill-sets. He/she is a good leader as well as a team player. Many pharmacists own their businesses and are great entrepreneurs. As they live in a dome of medications, good organization, and management skills become crucial for their smooth functioning.

While dealing with new disease outbreaks and pandemics, pharmacists have to keep themselves updated about the newer advancements and developments in health care management and are by default subject to a process of life-long learning. As a dedicated and diligent faculty of the medical fraternity, pharmacists deserve to be recognized, and on this day let’s thank them for their efforts that often go unappreciated.

How Can We Observe National Pharmacist Day?

• Let’s Be Grateful

You can celebrate this day by thanking your pharmacist for his/her services to the community.

• En Route To The Profession

Learn more about this profession and find out the best options available if you are interested in this field.

• Share On Social Media

You can share this event on social media and tag your favorite pharmacist or friends using #NationalPharmacistDay and  #PharmacistDay

Interesting Facts On National Pharmacist Day:

Few facts related to National Pharmacist Day

• A collection of 700 prescription remedies, the Papyrus Ebers which dates back to 2100 BCE was found in Egypt.
• King Fredrick II passed the law separating the professions of a physician and pharmacist with associated professional regulations in 1240.
• The London Pharmacopoeia, a compilation of approved drugs in English was published in 1618.
• The first pharmacy is thought to be established in Baghdad in 754 AD corresponding to the Islamic Golden age.
• CVS became the largest drugstore in America on May 8th, in 1963 employing 24,000 pharmacists.
• According to the Gallup poll in 2018, pharmacists were ranked as the 3rd most trusted professionals with a 66% vote indicating high ethical standards.
• A high level of customer satisfaction delivered by pharmacies was observed in a 2018 study.
• William Procter is known as the Father of Pharmacy’ for his dedication to the field. He wrote the textbook for pharmacy for the students in the US and was an ardent advocate for the American Pharmaceutical Association.
• Pharmacists are behind many revolutionary drinks like Coca-cola, Ginger ale, and Pepsi.
• Agatha Christie had an exhaustive knowledge of many poisons mentioned in her detective novels as she worked as a pharmacy dispenser during World War I

History Of National Pharmacist Day:

The origin and creator of this day remain unknown. Few sources suggest that the day was created by pharmacists to honor and celebrate their profession.