Editor’s note: NACDS president and chief executive officer Steven Anderson issued the following letter to NACDS members for American Pharmacists Month:

So much can be said about the heroism of pharmacists who serve their communities each and every day. As October’s celebration of American Pharmacists Month arrives, I have been flooded by seemingly millions of thoughts about their amazing work and the response it deserves.

Top of mind are the 133 million COVID-19 vaccine doses provided by pharmacists and other team members to date through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program alone – and many more through state programs.

The pandemic has produced 19 months’ worth of other heroism: keeping pharmacies open and accessible to patients; conducting COVID-19 testing; preventing a flu and COVID-19 twindemic; filling gaps in care; and prioritizing health equity.

I also think of the everyday heroics predating COVID-19. The fact is that pharmacists have long served as the faces of neighborhood healthcare – during other emergencies faced by the nation, by communities and by individuals, as well as in more “normal” times.

I think of the critical importance of NACDS’ advocacy for public policy that honors, advances and leverages the practice of pharmacy – on issues including reimbursement, scope of practice, and stewardship issues like opioid-abuse prevention.

The NACDS Foundation’s work also comes to mind – including recently announced scholarships focusing on pharmacists’ role in health equity, mental health, and the prevention and management of chronic disease – and in continuing to foster diversity within the profession.

No doubt, many opportunities exist to commemorate and comment on pharmacists and their essential role in our society. Yet as this American Pharmacists Month begins, I want to begin the recognition with two important words.

“Thank You” to the pharmacists in NACDS member companies and beyond, including pharmacy students who are the profession’s future. You serve in countless, and always-counted-on, ways. We honor your brilliance, your professionalism, your dedication, your hard work, and your unwavering commitment to patient care – during American Pharmacists Month and always.