Although many people have never heard of the job title of pharmacy buyer, they nonetheless fill an important role for the company they work for. These professionals are responsible for purchasing, receiving, and maintaining appropriate pharmacy stock levels for their organization. Doctors prescribe medication, pharmacists fill it, and pharmacy buyers ensure that there’s enough stock available when it’s needed.

It’s such an important job that it has even received its own holiday, known as National Pharmacy Buyer Day. This holiday is observed on the Friday of the last full week in October and celebrates the buyers who keep pharmacies, hospitals, and other organizations stocked with the medicine they need.

The History of National Pharmacy Buyer Day

This holiday was created by a former pharmacy buyer named Beth Meese. She worked for Provena United Samaritan Medical Center in Danville, Illinois, and decided to invent this holiday as a way to recognize pharmacy buyers across the country. The result was National Pharmacy Buyer Day.

Interesting Facts About Pharmacies

Although we couldn’t find any new information about pharmacy purchasing agents that we haven’t already covered, we did decide that it was the perfect time to lay down some facts about pharmacies that we’ve learned. Let’s take a quick look at them before moving on.

• The beverage Coca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton—a pharmacist.
• The pharmacist Charles Alderton invented Dr. Pepper.
• Agatha Christie was a pharmacy technician.
• The most commonly prescribed medicine in the U.S. is Hydrocodone.

Observing National Pharmacy Buyer Day

Although the average person probably isn’t going to want to observe this holiday, hospitals and pharmacies can observe it by giving recognition to their pharmacy buyers for a job well done. People can also spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #NationalPharmacyBuyerDay on social media.