2016's Ask Your Pharmacist Week will take place during the week of 7th to 14th November, with the theme of “More Than Medicines”.

AYP Week, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), gives pharmacies and pharmacy organisations a platform to raise awareness of pharmacy across the UK. It can also be a prompt for conversations with key stakeholders at a local level about community pharmacy services. www.npa.co.uk

NPA head of communications, Stephen Fishwick, said the 2016 campaign is planned to “raise the bar” with a stronger focus on social media activity. “This year, the NPA intends to put a fresh gloss on last year’s Medicines and More campaign. In particular we will raise the bar on previous AYP campaigns in terms of the digital assets to support the initiative. Social media will play a bigger part than in years past.” 

The theme of “More Than Medicines” is deliberately broad, to give maximum flexibility for pharmacies and pharmacy stakeholders to focus on local priorities, he said.

Activities taking place during AYP week typically include:

• Visits by mayors and MPs to pharmacies
• Public exhibitions (in libraries, shopping centres, sporting venues and town halls)
• Pharmacists on local radio and columns in local newspapers
• Window displays in independent pharmacies
• Pharmacists presenting to local community groups
• NHS commissioners, pharmacy students, health charities and others support the week on social media – all encouraging people to make more and better use of their local pharmacies.

NPA members will be able to access posters, template social media posts, infographics, video assets, template local newspaper columns, PowerPoint presentations, talk notes for community talks and other resources, said the organisation. Other supporters of AYP week, such as Local Pharmaceutical Committees, will also have access to relevant campaign resources, including materials for public exhibitions.