Ghana Celebrates World Pharmacists Day
Pharmacists worldwide marked September 25, 2018, as World Pharmacists Day. The event was aimed at highlighting the role of pharmacists in ensuring patients’ safety through responsible supply and use of medicines, and was on the theme: “Pharmacists: Your Medicines Experts”.
In Ghana, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), commemorated the Day with the launch of activities to raise awareness about the responsibility of pharmacists and what the public should expect from practitioners.
Addressing the media, the Deputy Minister for Health, Hon. Kingsley Aboagye-Gyedu urged pharmacist to put in their very best to meet and address the needs of citizens who needed their services.
Touching on the theme of the celebrations, the Deputy Minister said it was a bold declaration of the expertise of the pharmacist, and the celebration of the event in Ghana affirmed the competencies of the Ghanaian pharmacists required to enable patients to derive the best results from their medicines.
He challenged practitioners to devise strategies to treat patients with comorbid and complex conditions by tailoring their education to optimise patient care.
Hon. Aboagye-Gyedu assured the public that the Ministry of Health will continue to make policies that will help in the continuous improvement in the expertise of the Ghanaian pharmacist.
The President of PSGH, Mr Benjamin K. Botwe, quoting figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), said that globally, more than 50 per cent of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, while 50 per cent of patients fail to take them correctly.
This, according to Mr Botwe, require more pharmacists to ensure effective use of medicines.
PSGH is a member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
Source: MoH PR Unit