About American Pharmacists Month

"We need to promote the pharmacy profession! No one understands what pharmacists do." How many times have you heard these comments… or even made them yourself? No matter when you first heard the comments, it was not a new idea. Pharmacists have been calling for recognition of pharmacists since the profession was established.

William Procter, Jr., a founding member of the then-American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) observed in 1867, that "public opinion is in America a forceful agent of reforms, and has been the main source of progress in pharmacy." But it wasn't until Asheville, N.C. pharmacist Robert J. Ruth introduced the idea of highlighting the profession through an annual celebration that the event took shape. At the 1924 annual meeting, Ruth unveiled his plan of "A National Pharmaceutical Week" and with that the first National Pharmacy Week was born. The first celebration was held on October 11-17, 1925. During this inaugural effort, radio stations across the country broadcast special programs which emphasized the professional side of pharmacy.

A 1959 National Pharmacy Week press kit, found in the APhA Newsroom during a move to our temporary headquarters, highlighted many of the same issues we talk about today: pharmacy careers, medication costs, and standards for training. Offering practicing pharmacists displays, posters, radio and television material, newspaper articles and even speeches (a complete kit cost $2.00) to 'promote' the profession, much like the promotions available on pharmacist.com today. In fact, a current APhA consultant, George B. Griffenhagen, was on the public relations committee at that time.

After celebrating National Pharmacy Week for nearly eight decades, 2004 marked the launch of American Pharmacists Month. The expansion to a month responded to APhA member comments that a week was not enough time to fully promote the expanding role of the pharmacist. And while the length of time was changed, the goal of the event has remained the same: to highlight the importance of the pharmacists' value to the healthcare system and their role as medication experts.

Since then, American Pharmacists Month has continued to grow. In 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush acknowledged the important role pharmacy professionals play in the lives of Americans. An increasing number of state pharmacy associations, pharmacists and pharmacy practices participate in the annual celebration.