The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSOG) has observed that the current arrangement under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) where service providers prescribe and dispense drugs is against international standards. The PSOG said the practice could breed corruption, since it is the same person or institution prescribing and dispensing drugs. These were part of the findings of a research commissioned by the PSOG on the weaknesses in the implementation of the NHIS. The study which was carried out between August and September, this year, was sponsored by the BUSAC Fund. Themed: “Challenges facing Community Pharmacy Practice in Ghana under the NHIS,” the study was also to assess the impact of the NHIS on the performance of accredited community pharmacies in meeting the pharmaceutical care needs of insured patients and the sustainability of community pharmacy practice. Presenting the findings, Ambrose Yennah, a health consultant, said the practice could breed corruption and also affect healthcare delivery in the country and, therefore, asked the health authorities to change the system. Mr Yennah, Chief Executive Officer of AIDEC Consultancies international, said though the prescribed and dispensed arrangement appeared to be better in terms of convenience to patients, there were obvious disadvantages which if not holistically addressed, could pose a serious challenge to the delivery of quality health care, especially in terms of pharmaceutical care. He said it could lead to poor quality of services to patients and compromise of professional standards in those facilities. The consultant further said the practice “leads to overcrowding and long queues at the public health facilities”. Mr Yennah raised questions about the delay in the reimbursement of claims to service providers and accredited community pharmacies which creates financing challenges, and lock up their capital and thereby increase their cost of investment. He said the intended amendment of Section 71 of the NHIS Act 360 to change the reimbursement from the current four weeks, would not ensure effective implementation of thy scheme. “The National Health Insurance Authority should look at innovative ways of actualising the four weeks reimbursement time, instead of the amendment of the reimbursement section of the NHIS Act,” Mr Yennah stated. He said delay in reimbursement was putting some service providers out of business, and reducing the number of service providers. The Executive Secretary of the PSGH, Dennis Sena Awitty, said the study was to provide the association with scientific evidence to argue its case for the incorporation of the pharmaceutical practice into the implementation of the NHIS. “The study will form the basis of advocacy programmes and engagement with policy makers for the mainstreaming of pharmacy practice in the implementation of the NHIS,” he stated.