October is here, and with it comes American Pharmacists Month, a time to celebrate and raise awareness for pharmacy in your community. This year, American Pharmacists Month, sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), celebrates its 10th anniversary.
This month-long holiday is an excellent opportunity to educate your community, promote your pharmacy and reward loyal customers and staff. Find out how to engage all kinds of audiences in your October festivities.
Students
Invite a local elementary school to tour your pharmacy, or visit the school personally to give a lesson on how your pharmacy works. Hold a presentation on the dangers of improper drug usage at a high school, or host a student night at your pharmacy to introduce students to the profession.
Local media
Reach out to local media — radio, television or print — to bolster awareness about American Pharmacists Month. APhA provides handy resources on its website to assist you in contacting news outlets or journalists.
Social media users
Use this month to expand your online presence. Pledge to make at least one post a day on Facebook or Twitter during October. You could even run a promotion or giveaway solely through your social media platforms to build buzz about your business.
Seniors
Remind your older customers of your devotion to customer service by offering a special senior discount day during October. Come out from behind the counter on this day and promote your knowledge by providing guidance on the right vitamins to take or do a review of drug therapy interactions.
Sports fans
October is a time to celebrate pharmacists across the nation, and it’s also a time when football fever burns at full blast. Support your local team by hosting a barbeque before the big game that’s open to the public. Use this opportunity to educate your community about health and wellness or to promote your services.
Busy customers
Reach busy patients by attaching an information sheet to every prescription bag. Provide facts about your pharmacy, general wellness tips, information about the profession or whatever message you think merits the attention of your patients this month.
Staff
American Pharmacists Month is a time to acknowledge and reward your staff too. Hand out small gifts, words of thanks or something more notable, like a bonus. Taking the time to recognize your staff’s hard work can go a long way towards maintaining job satisfaction.
Politicians
Invite legislators and local opinion leaders to attend your American Pharmacists Month events to attract more coverage to your pharmacy, and to help garner better understanding and legislative support of pharmacy issues.
Related articles:
10 More Ideas for 10 Years of American Pharmacists Month
10 Ways to Promote American Pharmacists Month
How to Promote American Pharmacists Month at Your Pharmacy
