OXFORD, Miss. – Mayor George “Pat” Patterson has declared October as American Pharmacists Month in Oxford. Patterson recently signed a proclamation in support of the American Pharmacists Association’s national campaign “Know Your Pharmacist – Know Your Medicine.”
“We are very pleased to recognize the important work that pharmacists provide to our community,” Patterson said. “As one of the oldest and most trusted professions, pharmacists do a great deal to improve the health and well-being of our citizens.”
Although initially signed by the mayor in October 2014, the proclamation was officially read at Oxford’s Board of Aldermen meeting on Oct. 6, 2015. Dean David D. Allen and first-year professional student Justin Cabral of Arrington, Tennessee, represented the School of Pharmacy at the meeting.
Allen, who was asked by the mayor to address the Board of Aldermen at the meeting, said he feels honored that the profession of pharmacy has been supported in this manner.
“American Pharmacists Month serves an incredibly important purpose by raising awareness of all that pharmacists do,” Allen said. “It was humbling to see our profession recognized by the city of Oxford with this proclamation. I’m so thankful for Mayor Patterson’s leadership, as well as his support of local pharmacists and the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.”
Kelsey Stephens, APhA-Academy of Student Pharmacists chapter president and third-year professional student, attended the first meeting with Patterson and Allen in 2014.
“It was a very exciting process, meeting with city officials and explaining the importance of the pharmacy profession,” said Stephens, a Greenwood native. “I am honored to have been a part of this step in helping recognize pharmacists across our city and state.”
The proclamation states that “pharmacy professionals are an integral part of the health care team serving as medication experts” and that “Mississippi’s licensed pharmacists provide an invaluable service.”
On the local, state and national levels, American Pharmacists Month aims to elevate awareness of the role a pharmacist plays in health care and to promote the profession of pharmacy as a whole. For more information on the national campaign, visit http://www.pharmacist.com/american-pharmacists-month.