At the 2009 Council meeting a the FIP Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, the Turkish Pharmacists Association suggested to annually celebrate a World Pharmacists Day, to be organized on September 25 (the day that FIP was founded in 1912). This proposal was unanimously accepted by the Council and since 2010; World Pharmacists Day has been coordinated by FIP and celebrated through the involvement of its Member Organizations, either with structured, widespread campaigns or small scale projects. Each year welcomes a new theme to develop to showcase the pharmacist in their positive affect on health.
The theme for 2011 is:
- I am your most accessible healthcare provider
- I am a driving force behind discovering new medicines
- I am the key that unlocks all you need to know about your medicines
- I am with you in sickness and in health
I am a Pharmacist
To create a sense of continuum for the project that will carry over to WPD 2012, and in turn support the FIP Centennial Congress (within weeks after WPD 2012), it is proposed that for WPD 2012 FIP and its Members look OUTWARD, and gather quotes, media clips (articles, videos, etc) of those outside the profession (other health professionals, patients, business partners, industry, etc) explaining their relationship with and the value of pharmacists. In essence:
I value my pharmacist
In this way, FIP and its Members gather a vast pool of support just as we lead into the Centennial Congress, also opening opportunities for media attention.
It is the goal that all FIP Member Organizations participate in World Pharmacists Day 2011 and raise the awareness of pharmacists’ activities in their country, via national campaigns, and world-wide via the I am a Pharmacist campaign (click here for specific information on how to create your OWN I Am a Pharmacist video!).
Both will serve to educate the public on the invaluable role of the pharmacist in health care, and society in general, and provide content for associated FIP projects.
Please send reports of all activities and videos to press@fip.org