Recognising pharmacists is more important than ever

Tomorrow is Thank Your Pharmacist Day (21 March 2024), when pharmacists from all areas of practice can come together and celebrate the profession with colleagues and patients alike.

This year’s Thank Your Pharmacist Day theme is ‘More Than Ever’, recognising the increasingly important role pharmacists play across community health networks, from hospitals, to general practices, aged care facilities and various specialised practice areas.

Through administering more vaccinations and providing a wider range of services to ensure healthcare access for all Australians, pharmacists are more important to the health of Australians than ever before, everywhere medicines are used. 

Every Australian has benefited from the expertise of pharmacists in all practice settings, said PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS – who encouraged all Australians to say thanks to their local pharmacist tomorrow.

PSA has produced a range of tools to help you celebrate Thank Your Pharmacist Day on Thursday. Here’s how pharmacists can get involved, and encourage their colleagues and patients to follow suit.

1. Post #ThankYourPharmacistDay tiles on your pharmacy’s social media page

Raise awareness about Thank Your Pharmacist Day among the community through your pharmacy’s social media channels. PSA has developed ready-to-post social media tiles to help pharmacists get the message across, available below. Don’t forget to tag PSA in your social posts!

2. Engage your staff

Thank Your Pharmacist Day is also an opportunity for pharmacists to reflect on their own thoughts about the profession and what they’re most grateful for.

Ask staff to jot their thoughts down on a post-it note to stick on the PSA printable Thank Your Pharmacist Day gratitude poster – where patients, community members and colleagues can leave a note of thanks for you and your team.

Pharmacists can also involve ECPs in planning Thank Your Pharmacist Day activities, said PSA ECP Board Director Ayomide Ogundipe MPS.

‘ECPs can get involved by holding a ‘‘Thank Your Pharmacist’’ space at their workplace for patients and co-workers to share thank you notes, or host a morning tea with their co-workers to celebrate,’ she said.

3. Ask pharmacy assistants to be Thank Your Pharmacist Day champions

When ringing up medicines and products at the register or manning the shop floor, pharmacy assistants are perfectly placed to raise awareness about Thank Your Pharmacist Day.

Asking ‘would you like to fill out a note of appreciation for your pharmacist’ is sure to prompt patients to consider the important role pharmacists play in community health.

4. Thank your fellow pharmacists

Remember pharmacists can thank pharmacists too, so don’t forget to acknowledge your colleagues this Thank Your Pharmacist Day.

From providing a supportive work environment to helping navigate a tricky patient interaction – now is the time to thank your colleagues for all that they do.

‘To every pharmacist – wherever you practise – Australia says thank you,’ added A/Prof Sim.

Visit PSA’s Thank Your Pharmacist Day page to access more information and resources.