President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG) has announced that the Society is in final stages of receiving approval from government to stock and supply antigen tests for Covid-19. 

Mr Samuel Kow Donkoh said the PSG had already received grant of GHC315,000.00 from the global fund for implementation of the COVID-19 testing in community pharmacies across the country. 

Mr Donkoh said this at the opening of the 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Society in Tamale to review its performance over the past year and discuss issues that would strengthen the role of medicines in the country’s development. 

The week-long event, which would end on September 4, is on the theme: “Optimising the Pharmaceutical Workforce in a Rapidly Evolving World”. 

He led the new pharmacists to take the Membership Oath as he swore them into the Society. 

It was attended by Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, the Northern Regional Minister, who represented President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Nanton-Naa Mahamudu Bawa V, who represented Ya-Na Abukari II, and pharmacists across the country.  

The Northern Regional Minister, joined by the other dignitaries, cut the sod for the construction of the PSG’s pharmacy centre. 

Mr Donkoh appealed to the Ministry of Health to expedite action on the approval of pharmacists to administer vaccines at community pharmacies in the country. 

“Pharmacists training has been enhanced to the health care demands of our time and it will be a great loss to the nation if their total potentials are not harnessed to the benefit of patients and the health system,” he said. 

Mr Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, said the Ministry was working to ensure that community pharmacists were involved in activities of COVID-19 antigen testing and vaccinations. 

The Ministry would collaborate with the PSG to expand the scope of pharmaceutical practices for the health and wellbeing of the population, he said.  

Madam Mansa Nettey, the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, who was the main speaker, said young pharmacists were top-notch talents capable of driving the next phase of the profession. 

She appealed to relevant pharmaceutical bodies to ensure that no pharmacist was paid below the recommended minimum remuneration provided by the PSG. 

She said pharmaceutical training must be leveraged on research, innovation and new models to ensure the industry met the world class standards, while calling on pharmacists to serve with pride to positively affect lives and save humanity. 

Ya-Na Abukari II, Overlord of Dagbon, in a speech read on his behalf, said self-medication was on the increase due to media advertisements with claims of endorsement by the Food and Drugs Authority. 

He advised the pharmacists to promote positive health behaviours coupled with drug prescription instructions to improve the health of citizens to reduce loss of manpower. 

He appealed for support for local pharmaceutical companies to enable them to expand their businesses to reduce the cost of health care and provide employment for more people.