March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month. Pharmacy professionals are a critical part of the health care team that keeps people living in Canada safe and healthy, in communities from coast to coast to coast. This is especially evident as we look back over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are grateful that throughout the pandemic, pharmacy teams have shown up each day ready to care for and guide their communities through the many challenges we have faced. With more than 45,000 pharmacists and 9,900 pharmacy technicians in Canada, working in over 11,000 pharmacies, pharmacy professionals are the most accessible health care providers in the country.

Pharmacies in every province and territory have played and continue to play a critical role with screening and testing, as well as the largest vaccine rollout in Canada’s history. Pharmacy professionals have administered more than 17 million COVID-19 vaccines across Canada. This is in addition to the vaccines they provide for many other preventable diseases and the millions of flu shots they deliver each year. Pharmacies have been key partners for the distribution of rapid COVID-19 tests in Canada, for individuals as well as small and medium sized enterprises.

Not only are pharmacists and their staff a trusted source of information and advice for Canadians, but they also work closely with other health professionals to empower patients by giving them the information they need to be involved in their own care, including by promoting safe and effective medication management.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank pharmacy professionals for their ongoing dedication and commitment to Canadians’ well-being. This March, join me in celebrating Pharmacy Appreciation Month and all the ways that pharmacy professionals continue to step up and deliver for Canadians of all ages!

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

Statistical information in this message has been confirmed through the Canadian Pharmacists Association.