The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has expressed concern over what it describes as the inadequate recruitment of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians under the Ministry of Health’s latest employment exercise.

According to the association, the number of professionals recruited is far below what is required to address the staffing challenges facing public health facilities across the country.

In a statement issued on Monday, May 11, 2026, GHOSPA acknowledged the Ministry’s efforts to begin clearing the backlog of unemployed pharmacy professionals but warned that the current intake would have little impact on the growing workforce crisis in government hospitals.

The association disclosed that more than 4,000 pharmacists and over 6,000 pharmacy technicians were successfully verified through the Ministry’s recruitment portal and confirmed their readiness to accept postings.

However, it said only 100 pharmacists and 150 pharmacy technicians were engaged during the exercise.

GHOSPA described the figures as alarming, noting that less than three per cent of the verified workforce had been absorbed.

“An intake of this scale cannot, by any measure, be considered responsive to the depth of the staffing crisis confronting our facilities,” the association stated.

The association also raised concerns about the recruitment process, citing a lack of transparency in the allocation of regional vacancies, technical challenges with the application portal, and limited consultation with stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector.

According to GHOSPA, several applicants experienced persistent network failures and system instability during the application period, preventing some qualified professionals from completing their applications.

The association further warned that the shortage of pharmaceutical personnel continues to negatively affect patient care in many hospitals and dispensaries.

It noted that the situation has placed immense pressure on the few pharmacists currently working in public facilities, with some reportedly unable to take annual or study leave because they are the only pharmacists serving entire hospitals.

While commending the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, for initiating the recruitment exercise, GHOSPA stressed that the effort should only be regarded as the first step toward solving the workforce deficit.

The association has therefore called on the Ministry of Health to significantly increase recruitment in subsequent phases, publish clear employment figures at every stage of the process, and involve institutions such as the Pharmacy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana in future recruitment planning.

GHOSPA said addressing the country’s pharmaceutical workforce gap remains essential to improving medication safety, patient outcomes, and the overall quality of healthcare delivery in Ghana.