Kizito Kyeremateng
3rd year pharmacy student
Colton Radford
1st year pharmacy student
American Pharmacists Month is observed in October of every year to highlight and draw attention to pharmacists and the role they play in providing healthcare. The healthcare field in America is a continuously evolving sector and over the past few years has experienced vast changes with the passing of the Affordable Care Act. With this in mind, the questions that arise are “what role do pharmacists play in this new health care environment and how will pharmacists work with other healthcare providers in providing the best care for the citizens of this nation?” To answer these questions, here are some facts about pharmacists you may not know.
Did you know that pharmacists must have a doctorate (Pharm.D) degree in order to practice in America? Pharmacists go through 4 years of graduate education where they become experts in drug therapy. Some pharmacists also make the choice to get additional training where they become experts in fields such as nuclear pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, psychiatry, long term care and more.
Did you know that pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare providers in the U.S? In many towns and cities across America, pharmacist are the first healthcare professional available to people. Most people can simply walk up to a pharmacist for recommendations on many over-the-counter medications, consultation on prescription medications and a variety of different immunizations.
Lastly, did you know that pharmacists also provide medication therapy management (MTM) services? Pharmacist provided MTM services allow patients to get the most out of their medicines. Pharmacists use their unique knowledge in medicines to manage patients’ therapy and to improve patients’ healthcare outcomes.
Interested in learning more about pharmacists and interact with pharmacy students? Come to our open house event. This year, students will be working with Operation Immunization to administer influenza vaccines to the public, with the first 50 visitors receiving free influenza shots! Students will also be working with other student outreach organizations including Operation Diabetes, Operation Heart, Operation Self-Care, Generation Rx, Poison Prevention and Meth awareness to provide health screenings, educate about diabetes and cardiovascular disease, poison prevention, and the dangers of prescription drug abuse. We encourage all members of the community to come take advantage of the entire student outreach programs, support the College of Pharmacy, and get to know your future pharmacists who are a critical member of the health care team. This years events will take place at the Idaho State University College of Pharmacy, 970 S. 5th Ave (Pocatello), on Friday, October 24th from 4-6 pm.
