From raising awareness of breast cancer and mental health to stopping smoking, there are plenty of health campaigns for pharmacies to get involved with this autumn

World Mental Health Day: 10 October

Theme? 

Workplace wellbeing

What? 

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this year’s World Mental Health Day (WMHD) will highlight the worrying statistic that one in five people in the workplace experience a mental health condition. Mental health issues have been shown to increase employee absenteeism, lower rates of productivity and increase costs.As such, founder of WMHD the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), hopes to promote best practice, decrease negative attitudes and discrimination and empower individuals to promote mental health and dignity for all.

Get involved! 

The WFMH is encouraging everyone to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace on social media and in their communities. Download resources and the WMHD report, which includes tips for individuals, employers, colleagues and family members about mental health in the workplace from the World Federation for Mental Health website.

Join the conversation:

Twitter: @WMHDay #WorldMentalHealthDay 

Facebook: @WMHDAY1

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 1-31 October

Theme?

Pink

What?

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a worldwide annual campaign involving thousands of organisations, to highlight the importance of breast awareness, education and research and to raise money for breast cancer charities.

Get involved!

Charities such as Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now are encouraging people to wear pink to raise awareness of breast cancer and share information that women need to know about checking their breasts for signs of cancer. To find out more and download resources, see the Breast Cancer Now and Breast Cancer Care websites.

Join the conversation:

Twitter: @BCCare #PinkRibbon25 / @breastcancernow #wearitpink

Facebook: @breastcancercare / @breastcancernow

Stoptober: From 1 October

Theme?

28-day stop smoking challenge

What?

Stoptober is the 28-day stop smoking challenge from Public Health England that encourages and supports smokers across England towards quitting for good. The campaign is based on the insight that if people can stop smoking for 28-days, they are five times more likely to be able to quit for good.

Get involved!

Public Health England is encouraging pharmacies to trigger significant numbers of quit attempts by talking to customers, increasing their motivation to quit, recruiting them to the 28-day challenge and providing products and support to make quitting easier. Download and order resources from the PHE campaign resource centre.

Join the conversation:

Twitter: @stoptober #Stoptober

Facebook: @stoptober