Against the back drop that only 1,400 pharmacists serve the country’s 22 million population, the government has committed itself to work with relevant international organisations to find innovative ways of addressing the imbalance.
Vice-President John Mahama, who stated the government’s determination to deal with the inadequacy of pharmacists in the country, described the situation as “woefully inadequate” as it rendered the population vulnerable and exposed to the activities of untrained health professionals.
Opening the 10th Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Conference and Exhibition in Accra yesterday, Mr. Mahama said the absence of pharmacists in adequate numbers raised several issues of concern.
“How can patients and doctors make the best use of their medicines if the experts on medicines are absent?
How can governments ensure that their health insurance schemes are sustainable if the experts in medicines are not there to check and provide the most cost effective medications in the various therapeutic areas?” he queried.
Vice-President Mahama, therefore, stressed the government’s resolve to work with international bodies like the International Pharmaceutical Federation and the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association to deal with the problem.
The week-long conference, on the theme, ‘Managing threats and crisis: the vital role of pharmacy in an unstable world,’ has brought together more than 1,000 pharmaceutical professionals to discuss ways of improving drug management during disruptions caused by civil strife or natural disasters.
Expressing concern about the lack of social justice and equity in the health care of most Commonwealth countries, the Vice-President said over 80 per cent of all pharmacists and pharmacies were located in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions.
He said the three northern regions of the country had less than five per cent of pharmacists and pharmacies.
“The doctor-pharmacist ratio in northern Ghana is 1:96,000 while in Greater Accra, it is 1:8,000”, he added.
Vice-President Mahama noted that the situation lacked equity and was unacceptable, saying, it was that which had partly led to the growing practice of herbal preparations of doubtful efficacy.
He stated government’s concern about the influx of fake drugs in the country as a result of the activities of criminal groups which had taken advantage of easy movement of goods and people as a result of trade liberalisation, to move sub-standard drugs across borders.
While the problem was within manageable proportions in Ghana, he expressed government’s willingness to partner with relevant international associations to eradicate the phenomenon.
Vice-President Mahama spoke of government’s plans to make huge investments for Ghana to become a centre of excellence in drug discovery, research and an active hub of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa.
He said in Ghana, locally manufactured drugs compared favourably with imported ones in terms of international standards of safety, efficiency and quality since local industries create employment and contribute to the GDP, an enabling environment would be created to support local manufacture of drugs.
Dr. Anarfi Asamoah-Baah, Deputy Director of the World Health Organisation, stressed the need for pharmacists to go beyond being at counter-backs to offer their services to patients and move to the communities instead.
Dr. Alex Dodoo, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, said the society had offered to provide clinical pharmacy rotation and support for post-graduate training in Ghana for pharmacists from other sister African countries.
Vice-President John Mahama, who stated the government’s determination to deal with the inadequacy of pharmacists in the country, described the situation as “woefully inadequate” as it rendered the population vulnerable and exposed to the activities of untrained health professionals.
Opening the 10th Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Conference and Exhibition in Accra yesterday, Mr. Mahama said the absence of pharmacists in adequate numbers raised several issues of concern.
“How can patients and doctors make the best use of their medicines if the experts on medicines are absent?
How can governments ensure that their health insurance schemes are sustainable if the experts in medicines are not there to check and provide the most cost effective medications in the various therapeutic areas?” he queried.
Vice-President Mahama, therefore, stressed the government’s resolve to work with international bodies like the International Pharmaceutical Federation and the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association to deal with the problem.
The week-long conference, on the theme, ‘Managing threats and crisis: the vital role of pharmacy in an unstable world,’ has brought together more than 1,000 pharmaceutical professionals to discuss ways of improving drug management during disruptions caused by civil strife or natural disasters.
Expressing concern about the lack of social justice and equity in the health care of most Commonwealth countries, the Vice-President said over 80 per cent of all pharmacists and pharmacies were located in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions.
He said the three northern regions of the country had less than five per cent of pharmacists and pharmacies.
“The doctor-pharmacist ratio in northern Ghana is 1:96,000 while in Greater Accra, it is 1:8,000”, he added.
Vice-President Mahama noted that the situation lacked equity and was unacceptable, saying, it was that which had partly led to the growing practice of herbal preparations of doubtful efficacy.
He stated government’s concern about the influx of fake drugs in the country as a result of the activities of criminal groups which had taken advantage of easy movement of goods and people as a result of trade liberalisation, to move sub-standard drugs across borders.
While the problem was within manageable proportions in Ghana, he expressed government’s willingness to partner with relevant international associations to eradicate the phenomenon.
Vice-President Mahama spoke of government’s plans to make huge investments for Ghana to become a centre of excellence in drug discovery, research and an active hub of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa.
He said in Ghana, locally manufactured drugs compared favourably with imported ones in terms of international standards of safety, efficiency and quality since local industries create employment and contribute to the GDP, an enabling environment would be created to support local manufacture of drugs.
Dr. Anarfi Asamoah-Baah, Deputy Director of the World Health Organisation, stressed the need for pharmacists to go beyond being at counter-backs to offer their services to patients and move to the communities instead.
Dr. Alex Dodoo, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, said the society had offered to provide clinical pharmacy rotation and support for post-graduate training in Ghana for pharmacists from other sister African countries.
