Sabine Vollmer recieves NACDS' 'Great Communicator' honor
ALEXANDRIA, Va. Reporter Sabine Vollmer, biotechnology and pharmacy staff writer, with The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina was recognized by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores as a “Community Pharmacy Great Communicator” Friday.
Her contribution to community pharmacy came in the form of a Dec. 21 article, “Personal service at your pharmacy; More stores stress the role druggists can play in helping customers get and stay healthy,” illustrating the comprehensive and evolving role that pharmacists play in assisting patients with their health care needs. Pharmacists, NACDS has stated, not only provide patients with medications, but also offer counseling to patients regarding drug interactions, generic equivalents and managing medication therapy.
The Community Pharmacy Great Communicator program was created to honor those who publicly highlight the value of community pharmacy. “The NACDS honorary ‘Great Communicator’ designation complements the association’s Rapid Response Program, through which it addresses inappropriate or inaccurate characterizations of community pharmacy,” stated NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson.
A recent poll by the AARP, published in the November issue of the AARP Bulletin—another “Great Communicator” winner—showed that pharmacists received outstanding “favorable” ratings among those surveyed. The poll revealed that 86 percent of respondents 50 and over, as well as 78 percent of respondents under 50, had a favorable opinion of pharmacists.
In a letter to Vollmer, Anderson wrote: “The article presents a comprehensive perspective of the role of pharmacists, highlighting that in addition to dispensing medications, pharmacists play a critical role in ... managing medication therapy and providing services from wellness tests and flu shots to screenings for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart conditions. We applaud you and The News & Observer for your recognition of pharmacists and support of quality health care.”