Message from the Minister of Health Pharmacist Awareness Month March 2017

March is Pharmacist Awareness Month - a great time to recognize the important role that pharmacists play as part of Canada’s health care system. 

Pharmacists work closely with patients and health professionals in providing safe and effective medication management, health promotion and disease prevention services. They are a trusted source of education, information, tools and resources to support the best outcomes from drug therapy. Whether at work in your neighbourhood pharmacy, a hospital or a health care facility, pharmacists are trusted and valued members of health care teams.

As Canada continues to tackle the issue of opioid misuse and overdose, pharmacists are working closely with the federal government and playing an integral role in our fight to address this issue. At the Opioid Summit last November, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities contributed to the Joint Statement of Action to Address the Opioid Crisis, along with more than 40 partner organizations, and committed to implementing various tools to act on the crisis within their respective areas.

Our government remains committed to improving the wellbeing of all Canadians, and we are working with pharmacists and other health care professionals to improve our health care systems. Pharmacists will continue to play an important role in the delivery of health care, ensuring the needs of Canadians are met now and in the future.

This month I would like to extend my thanks to pharmacists across the country for their dedication and professionalism in keeping Canadians safe and healthy. 

The Honourable Jane Philpott, P.C., M.P.