Pharmacy Workforce Suicide Awareness Day Aiming for Federal Recognition

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announced Friday that the House of Representatives introduced a resolution which would officially recognize September 20 as annual Pharmacy Workforce Suicide Awareness Day.¹

“Pharmacists are often managing challenges that are beyond their direct responsibility: insurance companies, drug shortages, affordability of medications,” Kelly Lee, PharmD, MAS, professor of clinical pharmacy and associate dean for assessment and accreditation at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, told Drug Topics®. “Unfortunately, in the community, patients feel that pharmacists are responsible for these issues and [it] places a significant emotional toll on the pharmacy workforce.”

The congressional resolution, designated as House Resolution 1555 (HR 1555), was introduced by Representative Paul Tonko (D, New York) and Jen Kiggans (R, Virginia) with bipartisan cosponsors. The measure applauds the leadership of APhA and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), who established the annual awareness day in 2023 during Suicide Prevention Month.^1,2

By calling on President Trump to issue an official proclamation, lawmakers hope to foster nationwide discussions, promote research into mental health barriers, and reduce stigma within health care and across the greater public.

READ MORE: HHS Designs Action Plan to Address Overprescribing of SSRIs

Data Highlights Systemic Burden Across the Profession

National data underlines the severity of the mental health crisis impacting pharmacy professionals. Research examining death records from 2011 to 2022 revealed that pharmacists face a 21% higher risk of suicide compared with the general population, with male pharmacists experiencing a 25% higher risk.³

Furthermore, although pharmacy technicians as a group showed a lower overall risk, female pharmacy technicians faced a 22% higher suicide risk than women in the general public.^3,4

Researchers noted that job-related stress was heavily linked with suicide among pharmacists, whereas technicians were more likely to have documented histories of mental health challenges.³

The legislative findings in HR 1555 further illustrate widespread occupational distress. According to the resolution, 7 out of 10 pharmacy workforce members experience moderate to high burnout, while 33% report significant distress leading to depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue.²

Additionally, 73% of pharmacists describe their workload as high or excessively high, 60% experience fatigue at work, and 25% report being harassed, threatened, or bullied on the job. Facing burdensome administrative tasks, drug shortages, and long hours, frontline pharmacy employees encounter extreme pressure while ensuring safe medication delivery.^1,2

Structural Barriers and Fear of Professional Stigma

Systemic pressures outside the control of individual practitioners continue to strain work environments. With 90% of Americans living within 5 miles of a pharmacy, pharmacists represent highly accessible health care providers facing perpetual workplace demands.⁴

As a projected shortage of over 87,000 physicians approaches, pharmacists are increasingly taking on expanded clinical duties like administering vaccinations and managing chronic conditions. However, these expanding roles are rarely matched with increased staffing, recognition, or reimbursement. Retail pharmacy profit margins falling below 20% under pharmacy benefit manager controls have created severe operational strains for community practice settings.^3,4

Despite these overwhelming demands, structural barriers and professional stigma continue to discourage individuals within the profession from seeking mental health support. Many pharmacists worry that acknowledging mental health struggles could negatively affect their credentialing, career advancement, or professional licensure.^2-4

Lisa Miller, PharmD, BCPS, MSCP, associate dean and clinical professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, noted that this fear frequently delays or prevents individuals from getting help. In response, pharmacy advocates are calling for licensing policies and workplace cultures that protect practitioners rather than penalize them.⁴

“Pharmacy is now part of a broader national movement to remove structural barriers to mental health care,” Miller told Drug Topics. “The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has acknowledged that licensure and renewal applications may include intrusive questions about prior mental health diagnosis or treatment and has encouraged boards to reevaluate that language. When those barriers are removed and leaders clearly communicate that it is safe to seek care, stigma drops and help-seeking increases.”

Campus Support and Workplace Solutions

Academic institutions and health systems are mobilizing dedicated resources to support pharmacy staff, faculty, and students. The University of California San Diego offers the Healer Education Assessment and Referral program, providing anonymous stress screenings and confidential referrals.^4,5

At the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, leaders have partnered with the Counseling and Mental Health Center to offer specialized CARE counselors and virtual support in over 240 languages. Educational leaders emphasize that promoting wellness across training environments is vital for the long-term sustainability of the profession.^1,5

By establishing national recognition for Pharmacy Workforce Suicide Awareness Day, advocates aim to ensure that health care workers receive the same care that they provide to their patients every day.¹

“We need to address mental health problems for all health care workers, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, so that we can continue to provide care for our patients—screening and ensuring that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have accessible mental health resources when they need them, before it’s too late,” concluded Lee in her interview with Drug Topics.

READ MORE: Mental and Behavioral Health Resource Center

REFERENCES

1. Congress introduces Pharmacy Workforce Suicide Awareness Day resolution. American Pharmacists Association. News Release. September 18, 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.pharmacist.com/APhA-Press-Releases/congress-introduces-pharmacy-workforce-suicide-awareness-day-resolution

2. H.Res. 1555: supporting the designation of September 20, 2026, as “Pharmacy Workforce Suicide Awareness Day” to raise awareness of, and promote a national discussion about, pharmacy workforce suicide and to reduce the stigma of mental health conditions, and for...other purposes. GovTrack.us. September 16, 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hres1555/text

3. Martin M. Pharmacists are at elevated risk for suicide, study finds. UC San Diego Today. January 8, 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://today.ucsd.edu/story/pharmacists-are-at-elevated-risk-for-suicide-study-finds

4. Nowosielski B. Work pressure continues to impact pharmacists’ suicide risk, mental health. Drug Topics. January 29, 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/work-pressure-continues-to-impact-pharmacists-suicide-risk-mental-health

5. Trudeau A. Supporting your mental health: resources for pharmacy workforce suicide awareness day. The University of Texas at Austin. September 19, 2025. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://pharmacy.utexas.edu/news/supporting-your-mental-health-resources-pharmacy-workforce-suicide-awareness-day