"The statistical increase of female pharmacists is inspiring; women are particularly well positioned to serve as trusted healthcare resources, especially for fellow women," director of the Women in Pharmacy initiative at Cardinal Health and Women Pharmacist Day sponsor Eden Sulzer said in a statement. "Women make an average of 80% of the healthcare purchasing decisions for their families — and often serve as caregiver for their children and aging parents."
Women Pharmacist Day was founded by Suzanne Soliman, a pharmacist, who also is founder of PharmacistMomsGroup.com, a not-for-profit organization that offers support, resources and a professional network for pharmacist moms. The group has grown in one year to over 16,000 pharmacist moms.
Soliman chose Oct. 12 to honor the legendary first female pharmacist in the United States, Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf, who had 12 children and is an inspiring role model for women who want to become pharmacists.
"Whether you're a pharmacy student, practicing pharmacist, pharmacy educator, pharmacy association, female pharmacy owner or an advocate for the advancement of women within health care, we invite you to get involved in Women Pharmacist Day," Soliman said in a statement.
Soliman said that multiple colleges of pharmacy across the United States are hosting #WomenPharmacistDay themed events, bringing alumnae and students together to encourage career mentoring within the pharmacy profession, discuss career paths within pharmacy and explore ways to increase female representation in pharmacy leadership roles.
"Cardinal Health is proud to sponsor the inaugural Women Pharmacist Day," Cardinal Health CEO Mike Kaufmann said in a statement. "Our commitment to female leadership within health care is long-standing, and we sincerely thank the fellow companies, pharmacy schools, pharmacy associations, pharmacy educators, practicing pharmacists and pharmacy students joining us in support of Women Pharmacist Day."
"Practicing and student female pharmacists, let us know why you're pursuing a career in pharmacy. Recognize the role models and mentors who have paved the way for your career. Thank a pharmacist or pharmacy educator who has positively impacted your life. And make sure to use the hashtag #WomenPharmacistDay, so we can amplify each other's voices," Soliman said.
Soliman encourages all #WomenPharmacistDay posts to tag Cardinal Health on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and tag Pharmacist Moms Group on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.