ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Early next month, members of more than 30 pharmacy organizations worldwide will go on Twitter to participate in a "tweet-a-thon" to highlight the positive impact that pharmacists have on patients and the health care industry, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association.
NCPA said Thursday that on Oct. 3 pharmacists across the globe will tweet about what they’re doing to help patients, doctors and other health care providers, and communities using the hashtag #Pharmacist.
"Every day, pharmacists in different practice settings not only fill prescriptions; they counsel and educate patients, consult with physicians, monitor patient histories, lower health care costs, provide vaccinations, and help individuals live healthier lifestyles," the participating pharmacy groups stated. "Oct. 3 will be a day to honor the profound impact that pharmacists have on their patients’ everyday lives through an easy and accessible medium: Twitter. We encourage pharmacists and their patients all over the world to take a moment on Oct. 3 to share their positive stories."
The organizations noted that pharmacists are among the most trusted professions, according to annual surveys by the Gallup. The most recent Gallup poll found that 75% of respondents rated pharmacists highly in honesty and ethics.
A tweet-a-thon is a social media event on Twitter where participants focus their online tweet content for a specific time period on a particular issue.
So far, the following organizations have confirmed their participation in the global #pharmacist tweet-a-thon (Twitter handles listed in parentheses). In the United States, they include the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (@AACPharmacy); American College of Apothecaries (@ACA_Info); American Pharmacists Association (@pharmacists); American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (@ASCPharm); International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (@iacprx); National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (@StatePharmacy); National Association of Chain Drug Stores (@NACDS); National Community Pharmacists Association (@commpharmacy); and the Pharmacy HIT Collaborative (@PharmacyHIT), as well as 19 state pharmacist associations.
International participants in the tweet-a-thon will include the Canadian Pharmacists Association (@CPhAAPhC); Irish Pharmacy Union (@IrishPharmacy); Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (@PSA_National); Pharmacy Guild of Australia (@PharmGuildAus); Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (@PharmacyGuildNZ); and Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (@The_SHPA).
