World Pharmacists Day 2014

As designated by the FIP Council several years ago at the FIP Congress in Istanbul, 25 September marks the annual World Pharmacists Day. For this day, FIP is encouraging the world's pharmacists to organise activities that promote and advocate for the role of the pharmacist in improving health in every corner of the world.

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) strongly encourages all pharmacists and their associations across the globe to participate in World Pharmacists Day on 25 September. This year’s theme is:

“Access to pharmacists is access to health”

For many years, FIP has recognized that access to medicines is a major issue in many parts of the world and pharmacists play a key role throughout the whole supply chain towards improving access to medicines.
However, access to medicines itself will not result automatically in optimal health outcomes.

Indeed in 2012, a study quantified that 500 billion USD could be saved every year is responsible use of medicines was achieved and pharmacists have been identified as a strong and under-utilized asset to achieve responsible use of medicines.

The perfect combination is therefore access to medicines and pharmaceutical expertise, or in other words, to pharmacists.

In 2010, it has been estimated that 13% of the visits at a community pharmacy are concluded with advice only (and without sales of any products), highlighting that pharmacists are the most accessible and trusted healthcare professionals in many countries throughout the world.

FIP calls on you to celebrate our profession this September and to use World Pharmacists Day to promote the valuable role we play — and could play — in bringing about great health for all.