The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has said Ghana’s quest for quality healthcare depends on deliberate government investment in the training and deployment of pharmacists nationwide.

He stressed that no health system can function effectively without a well-trained and properly utilised pharmaceutical workforce, noting the critical role pharmacists play in ensuring safe and effective healthcare delivery.

Addressing the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana in Kumasi, Otumfuo urged health professionals to adhere strictly to their professional responsibilities to guarantee safe and effective use of medicines.

As part of activities marking its 90th anniversary, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana organised the Professor Tackie RxEdu Forum on pharmacy education in Ghana. The event brought together members and students of the profession to reflect on the evolution and future of pharmacy education in the country.

The forum was held under the theme: “90 Years of Science, Impact, and Legacy: Repositioning Pharmacy for the Future.”

Reflecting on the theme, the Asantehene urged pharmacists to uphold high standards in their practice.

“Do not compromise on quality in the name of expansion. To pharmacists across the country, your relevance will be defined by your value to patients. You must position yourselves not only as dispensers of medicine but as experts in the safe, effective, and rational use of medicines in our health system,” he said.

He reiterated the need for sustained investment in the pharmaceutical sector.

“No health system can function effectively without a strong, well-trained, and properly utilised pharmaceutical workforce. Investments in healthcare must include deliberate attention to the development and deployment of pharmacists across all levels of care,” Otumfuo added.

The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Dr. (Pharm) Paul Owusu Donkor, also highlighted the essential role of pharmacists in healthcare delivery, stressing the need for continuous professionalism in dispensing medicines.

“At no point will pharmacists compromise on the safety and efficacy of the medicines that we dispense and deliver to Ghanaians. We continue to call on all Ghanaian pharmacists to give the utmost care,” he said.

He further noted: “As we commemorate our 90th anniversary, we call on government and the general public to continue to recognise the indispensable role of pharmacists in healthcare.”

The event also saw the conferment of special honours on distinguished individuals, including the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, for her contributions to the advancement of the profession.