Ghana is set to overhaul its pharmacy licensing regime as part of efforts to expand access to healthcare and advance the country’s push toward Universal Health Coverage.

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has directed the Pharmacy Council to abandon the long-standing distance-based licensing system in favour of a population-based model, a move aimed at correcting disparities in the distribution of pharmacies nationwide.

The directive was announced at a two-day Expanded Stakeholders Retreat, where the Minister explained that the current approach, largely focused on how close pharmacies are to one another, no longer reflects Ghana’s healthcare realities or population dynamics.

Under the proposed reforms, licensing decisions will be guided by population size, a shift expected to improve access to medicines in densely populated and underserved communities that have historically been left behind.

The new policy direction is anticipated to promote fairness in pharmacy placement, strengthen medicine availability, and reinforce Ghana’s broader agenda of ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare for all.