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WASHINGTON -- Highlighting the role of pharmacists in improving health, American Pharmacists Association representative Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, who has a doctorate in pharmacy, joined federal officials last month to kick off a series of government initiatives aimed at improving patients' medication use and health awareness.

Rodriguez de Bittner, an APhA Foundation director and the organization's OTC media advisor, participated, along with U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona and other health leaders, in several high-profile media events Sept. 9 to 10. Among them was the launch of Carmona's satellite media tour to promote his new OTC medication guide, produced in cooperation with the National Council on Patient Information and Education and titled "Be MedWise Prescription for Taking OTC Medicines."

In a separate event, Rodriguez de Bittner shared the podium with Josefina Carbonell, assistant secretary for aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at a U.S. Administration on Aging press conference highlighting senior citizens' medication management needs. Carbonell spoke at length about the role of the pharmacist as a critical advisor to seniors and their caregivers and welcomed the involvement of pharmacists in making the event a model for similar gatherings across the country.

In remarks delivered in both English and Spanish at the gathering, Rodriguez de Bittner urged seniors and their pharmacists to forge a stronger partnership to improve medication use.

"We are delighted that pharmacists this week were given the prominence the deserve as consumers' medication experts," said John Gans, Pharm.D., APhA executive vice president. "These media events show that APhA is recognized as the association [that] represents all pharmacists. We've reinforced our position as the natural go-to resource for journalists covering pharmacists consumers and medications."

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