Pharmacists and pharmacy professionals are incredibly valuable members of the health care team, both to their patients and other health care team members.The time has come for you — as a pharmacist — to promote your skills and share your talents with the world, in order to emphasize the importance of your role as the medication expert.
Pharmacists know the importance of the services they provide, but pharmacy professionals are often not the best at promoting themselves as the medication experts on the patient’s care team. Pharmacists have had interactions that have positively and directly impacted patients, helped other health care providers, and made a difference in their communities. Patients place a large amount of trust in pharmacists to help them optimize their medication therapies and improve their care.
Pharmacists are finding their patients are increasingly turning to the drugstore for flu shots. Since it is the beginning of the influenza season, heightened awareness about vaccines at pharmacies means hundreds heave already received the shot locally.
The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting a flu shot as early as possible in the season, which lasts from October through May. The vaccine strains distributed are the same throughout the season. People older than 4 should get a different strain, the CDC recommends.
Nationwide influenza activity is low, the CDC reported for the week ending October 1. Influenza A has been the most common strain detected by public health laboratory tests.
