The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the Guild) produced a video of key health sector leaders as a small token of our appreciation of the incredible work pharmacists do every day to support their patients and communities, not just on World Pharmacists Day.
World Pharmacists Day is celebrated every year on 25 September. This year’s theme is “Think Health, Think Pharmacist”.
Around 1.7 million New Zealanders visit a community pharmacy each month. This makes your community pharmacist the health professional you see most often.
Over 1,065 community pharmacies are conveniently located throughout the country, with many open extended hours, enabling care close to home, with no need to make an appointment for many services offered.
In 2024, over 95 million subsidised medicines were dispensed by community pharmacies, in addition to the many other services provided including vaccinations, minor health conditions treatment and advice, medicines adherence, and other services that take pressure off general practices and hospitals.
To mark this year’s World Pharmacists Day, the Guild invited messages of thanks to pharmacists from across the health system. The video includes tributes from:
- Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown
- Director-General of Health and Ministry of Health Chief Executive Audrey Sonerson
- Labour health spokesperson Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall
- New Zealand First health spokesperson Jenny Marcroft
- Labour Leader Rt Hon Chris Hipkins
Messages from Guild President Kesh Naidoo-Rauf, Vice President Brooke McKay, and Chief Executive Andrew Gaudin also feature in the video.
“We thank pharmacists, our often-unsung healthcare heroes, for their ongoing dedication and commitment to providing high quality and accessible healthcare to help keep our communities healthy and well”, says Mr Gaudin.
You can view the World Pharmacists Day video on the Pharmacy Guild’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages.