Paul Rogers' Challenge: You are the Key
"Talk About Prescriptions" Month
October 1986
This October 1986, the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) will sponsor the first national "Talk About Prescriptions" Month. The purpose of the Month is to stimulate activity in October, and throughout the following year, that motivates health professionals to give - and consumers to seek - the information needed for safe and effective medication use. The campaign's theme emphasizes this concept: 'Medicines: The More You Talk, The Better They Work."
By participating in this first "Talk About Prescriptions" Month, you will be joining hundreds of other organizations nationwide to promote better communication about prescription medicines. Participating organizations range in size from large consumer and health care groups with affiliate, chapter, and unit networks in every county in all 50 states, to individual practitioners, each committed to ensuring that their patients receive the best medication counseling and written information available.
NCPIE's role, in addition to developing educational programs and resources for the TAP Month campaign and year-round use, is to serve as catalyst of nationwide patient drug information activities. Our membership roster is made up of organizations that encourage and enable improved consumer-healthcare professional communication to occur. Members represent the fields of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health; pharmaceutical manufacturers; voluntary health and consumer organizations; hospitals; government agencies; and others. We believe the diversity of our support and our approach of providing information through voluntary cooperation is the basis for addressing prescription information issues effectively.
The articles in this 1986 "Talk About Prescriptions" Month planning materials are designed to inform and to challenge your group, organization, or business to join us in making prescription medicine information and education programming widely available to those who need it. In reading the articles that describe how and why other groups are investing their tie and resources, you'll discover that the "best" place for talking about medicines is every place, including in the doctor's office, community pharmacy, hospital, on the job, in school, or at home. It doesn't require a major investment or high technology equipment. What's needed is correct (and available) information, patients and healthcare professionals who are willing to talk, and a desire to make effective medicine communication a priority.
"Talk About Prescriptions" Month is a time to focus national - and individual - attention on this important health issue. I encourage you to participate in October and throughout the year, because the keys to a nationwide explosion of activity and events are you and your organization's commitment to improved patient-healthcare provider communication. To paraphrase the campaign slogan, "The More You Work, The Better They'll Talk."
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