Pharmacy Taps into Twitter for #Pharmacist Tweet-a-Thon

Pharmacists and pharmacy organizations around the world are taking to Twitter to spread the word about their impact on patients, communities, and the health care industry.

For the second annual #Pharmacist tweet-a-thon on October 2, 2014—the second day of American Pharmacists Month—members of various pharmacy organizations are expected to tweet about the actions they have taken to help patients or peers and to include the hashtag #Pharmacist.

According to the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), which organizes the global event, more than 7100 tweets with the hashtag #Pharmacist were sent during the inaugural tweet-a-thon on October 3, 2013, making #Pharmacist the top trending health care hashtag that day.

“Last year, we saw tweets from all over the world describing the impact that pharmacists have on their patients’ everyday lives. Pharmacists in different practice settings not only fill prescriptions; they counsel patients, consult with physicians, lower health care costs, and help patients live healthier lifestyles,” the participating organizations stated in a press release. “As one of the most accessible health care providers, pharmacists have a unique story to tell, and we hope they will take a moment or 2 on October 2 to share their positive stories on Twitter.”

Some examples of tweets sent during last year’s tweet-a-thon include:

• Finding a $0 copay card for an EpiPen so a young child can go to school unafraid of anaphylaxis #pharmacist
• 40 flu shots in 3 hours...That’s 40 more people protected from the flu! #pharmacist
• We discovered an unintended change on a patient’s blood thinner. We alerted the doctor and prevented potential adverse effects. #pharmacist

To date, 37 pharmacy organizations have signed on to partake in the #Pharmacist tweet-a-thon, including the NCPA (@commpharmacy), the American Pharmacists Association (@pharmacists), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (@NACDS), and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (@StatePharmacy). Yours truly (@Pharmacy_Times) will also participate.