DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The inaugural
Women Pharmacist Day will be commemorated on Oct. 12, 2018, in conjunction with National
Pharmacist Month, to recognize the important contributions women
pharmacists make, every day, to delivering quality care to
patients.
Learn how you can get involved with
#WomenPharmacistDay at
PharmacistMomsGroup.com.
While women made up only 8% of all U.S. pharmacists as recently
as the 1960s, women currently comprise 55% of the pharmacist
workforce, and the number of those practicing is on the rise.
Approximately 61% of the 14,000 PharmDs earned in the U.S. in 2016
were earned by women.
"The statistical increase of female pharmacists is inspiring;
women are particularly well positioned to serve as trusted
healthcare resources, especially for fellow women," said
Eden Sulzer, director of the Women
in Pharmacy initiative at Cardinal Health, Women Pharmacist Day
sponsor. "Women make an average of 80 percent of the healthcare
purchasing decisions for their families – and often serve as
caregiver for their children and aging parents."
Sulzer said she sees Women Pharmacist Day as an excellent
opportunity to celebrate the significant gains women have made in
pursuing careers in pharmacy, while honoring the trailblazers who
have made such progress possible.
Women Pharmacist Day was founded by Dr. Suzanne Soliman, a pharmacist who is also
founder of PharmacistMomsGroup.com, a not-for-profit organization
that offers support, resources and a professional network for
pharmacist moms. The group has grown in just one year to over
16,000 pharmacist moms and continues to grow daily. Soliman chose
October because it marks National Pharmacist Month; she chose the
12th day of the month to honor the legendary first female
pharmacist in the U.S., Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf, who had 12
children and is an inspiring role model for thousands of women who
dream of becoming a pharmacist.
"Whether you're a pharmacy student, practicing pharmacist,
pharmacy educator, pharmacy association, female pharmacy owner, or
an advocate for the advancement of women within healthcare, we
invite you to get involved in Women Pharmacist Day," said
Soliman.
Soliman said that multiple colleges of pharmacy across
the United States are hosting
#WomenPharmacistDay themed events, bringing alumnae and students
together to encourage career mentoring within the pharmacy
profession, discuss career paths within pharmacy, and explore ways
to increase female representation in pharmacy leadership roles. She
also said that several colleges of pharmacy, pharmacy associations
and healthcare companies have issued formal statements supporting
Women Pharmacist Day, including Cardinal Health CEO Mike Kaufmann.
"Cardinal Health is proud to sponsor the inaugural Women
Pharmacist Day," said Kaufmann. "Our commitment to female
leadership within healthcare is long-standing, and we sincerely
thank the fellow companies, pharmacy schools, pharmacy
associations, pharmacy educators, practicing pharmacists and
pharmacy students joining us in support of Women Pharmacist
Day."
According to Soliman, the easiest way to support Women
Pharmacist Day is to share your stories via social media.
"Practicing and student female pharmacists, let us know why
you're pursuing a career in pharmacy. Recognize the role models and
mentors who have paved the way for your career. Thank a pharmacist
or pharmacy educator who has positively impacted your life. And
make sure to use the hashtag #WomenPharmacistDay, so we can amplify
each other's voices!"
To increase the visibility of support, Soliman encourages all
#WomenPharmacistDay posts to tag Cardinal Health
on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and tag
Pharmacist Moms Group on LinkedIn, Instagram or
on Twitter.
Learn more about Women Pharmacist Day at
PharmacistMomsGroup.com. There, you can:
- Download a toolkit with quick and easy ways for student
pharmacists, professional pharmacy organizations, pharmacy
educators, practicing pharmacists and advocates for female
pharmacists to support the cause
- Download #WomenPharmacistDay selfie cards to share on social
media
- Check out what key pharmacy leaders and influencers have to say
about Women Pharmacist Day
- Learn more about the steering committee members who are helping
make the inaugural celebration a success
About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health, Inc. is a
global, integrated healthcare services and products company,
providing customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems,
pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and
physician offices worldwide. The company provides clinically proven
medical products, pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that
enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home. To help
combat prescription drug abuse, the company and its education
partners created Generation Rx, a national drug education and
awareness program. Backed by nearly 100 years of experience, with
approximately 50,000 employees in nearly 46 countries, Cardinal
Health ranks #14 on the Fortune 500. For more information,
visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on Twitter,
@cardinalhealthwings on Facebook and connect on LinkedIn at
linkedin.com/ company/cardinal-health.
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SOURCE Cardinal Health