Pharmacy Awareness Week

How PAW came about...

Pharmacy Awareness Week has its genesis in a recommendation to the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) Council from the Ontario Branch of CSHP in August 1989. Council approved the request to have CSHP coordinate a national program - at the time directed to hospital pharmacy practice.

In April 1990, CSHP Executive, with the direction of Council, approved a recommendation to designate the first week of November each year as Pharmacy Awareness Week. The original intent was to call this Hospital Pharmacy Awareness Week. However, hospital was deleted based on the desire to encourage other pharmacy organizations to join to make it a profession wide program.

In September 1990, a CSHP Task Force was established to plan for the first event to be held in 1991. Members were informed of the decision to designate the first week of November as Pharmacy Awareness Week. Some institutions held events locally in 1990. November 1991 was the first national PAW. There was little available nationally, with most of the activity coming from provincial groups. CSHP Branches worked with provincial associations in planning the 1991 event.

In November 1992, through efforts of the CSHP Task Force, Membership Committee, and using experience gained at provincial levels, a full national event was held. A brochure and poster were developed for the event. Based on an Ontario success (combined Branch, Ontario Pharmaceutical Association, College of Pharmacists, and University of Toronto), the CSHP PAW Task Force developed the first Activities Guide to assist members in planning for PAW events. In addition, CSHP worked with News Canada, a news distribution service, to provide national camera-ready media items for publication. For most of the following year, update reports were received showing that the camera-ready material was still published by local news vehicles.

In 1993, the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association (CPhA), became an active partner and took over coordination of the national event to bring the full profession into PAW. The Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI) also agreed to join the planning and make the program a three organization national pharmacy event.

A regionally representative advisory committee composed of pharmacists from all fields of the profession was established to guide the PAW coordinators and assist in the positioning of the campaign.

Promotional materials are developed to assist pharmacists with their PAW initiatives and to help finance the program. Posters, t-shirts, buttons, educational leaflets and resource manuals help members plan for PAW. New products are added each year, and in 1997/98 an extra educational leaflet has been added.

In 1997, the Advisory Committee decided to move PAW from November to March, beginning in 1998. The first March PAW campaign will promote Medicine Cabinet Cleanup and Brown Bag Review activities.

PAW would not be possible without generous sponsorship from members of the pharmaceutical industry. Sponsorship participation has steadily increased over the years. In 1996 the addition of a new level of sponsorship, Presidents' Club, made possible the distribution to every pharmacist of a resource manual and poster.

PAW is promoted through the national and community press. At the community level, pharmacists become active in organizing events and contacting the local media.

A special event is held each year to launch the national PAW campaign. Since 1994, the federal Health Minister as well as other politicians, health care professionals, sponsors and pharmacists have gathered to celebrate the role of the pharmacist. Members of Parliament have also mentioned PAW in the House of Commons.

Pharmacy Awareness Week Kit Materials

CSHP Products & Publications Order Form (including PAW material)

To preview the components of the PAW Kit, use the following links: