WASHINGTON, D.C., OCTOBER 23, 2008 – In celebration of American Pharmacist Month (October), The American Pharmacist Association (APhA) is teaming with comedian Brad Sherwood to launch Behind-the-Counter Encounters. This educational campaign, which is supported by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., is designed to combine educational content and wit to help shed light on the important role that pharmacists play in healthcare today and how their role has expanded over the years.
According to a survey (n=1,719) conducted by the APhA, when it comes to their pharmacist, consumers are definitely not “in the know ”. Surprisingly, sixty-eight percent of consumers do not even know their pharmacist’s name, yet when individuals asked their pharmacist a question, nearly all (99 percent) received the help they needed.
As part of this program, Sherwood, best known as a cast member of the Emmy-nominated TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”,* stars in an entertaining online series of vignettes titled Behind the Counter Encounters. The vignettes portray a “day in the life” of a pharmacist and demonstrate how pharmacists can serve as a trusted counselor for consumers.
“Like most people, I wasn’t really sure what pharmacists do. So, I was intrigued when the APhA asked me to help celebrate pharmacists by creating these entertaining vignettes,” Sherwood says. “Now I know pharmacists go above and beyond filling prescriptions by playing an important role in helping people with their healthcare needs. I am thrilled to be a part of this campaign and I hope we inspire more people to get to know their pharmacist.”
Many times, pharmacists can be the first point-of-contact for individuals with health inquiries and are dedicated to helping answer their healthcare questions. APhA and Sherwood encourage people to visit www.BTCcenter.com to view the vignettes, get more information about the campaign, and learn more about behind-the-counter medicines and how to purchase them.
“With cold and flu season rapidly approaching, it’s important for people to know that, if they have questions, pharmacists can provide helpful information about medicines located in front of or behind-the-counter that are available without a prescription,” says Kristen Binaso, RPh, CCP, FASCP, of the American Pharmacists Association. “This is just one of the many ways pharmacists can help.”
ABOUT THE AMERICAN PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION (APHA)
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 63,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States.
ABOUT MCNEIL CONSUMER HEALTHCARE
McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., markets a broad range of well-known and trusted over-the-counter (OTC) products. McNeil Consumer Healthcare is most widely recognized for the complete line of TYLENOL® acetaminophen products, the leading pain reliever brand in the adult and pediatric categories. The TYLENOL® product line consists of hundreds of products across a variety of pain categories including: arthritis pain, pain with accompanying sleeplessness and upper respiratory. Other McNeil Consumer Healthcare brands include BENADRYL® and ZYRTEC® allergy medicines; IMODIUM® A-D anti-diarrheal; MOTRIN® IB; PediaCare® upper respiratory medicines for children; ROLAIDS® antacid products and ST. JOSEPH® Adult Regimen Aspirin.
*Property of the following: Warner Brothers, Television and ABC Family.
CONTACTS
Kathryn Ritzinger
Cohn & Wolfe
(212) 537-8217
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