The Pharmacy Council of Ghana has held a stakeholders sensitization meeting with pharmacists and over the counter medicine sellers (OTCMS) in the Upper West Region at Wa.
The session was aimed at updating participants on the impending mapping of pharmaceutical service delivery facilities in the Region.
The exercise which will be carried in six districts will help to also identify access gaps in pharmaceutical service provision in Upper West and reach out to the marginalized in society.
GBC’s Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo in this report says the districts penciled for mapping are Sissala East and West, Nandom,Wa West, Jirapa and Lambussie.
The Deputy Registrar in charge of Professional Development of the Pharmacy Council of Ghana, Albert Wiredu Arkoh allayed the fears of interested parties about the mapping exercise, saying it is purely to improve service delivery.
He told the meeting that the Pharmacy Counci has moved from policing to supportive supervision, “we want to support you so that you do the right thing,that is where we have moved to. So that in the end we all will enjoy quality pharmaceutical care”.
Mr. Arkoh said after the exercise, the Regional Manager of the Council for Upper West, Lateef Agyei-Wiredu will liaise with community leaders to help provide quality pharmaceutical services to deprived areas.
A Consultant for a US based NGO, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), Adjo Mfodwo pointed out that MSH is coming in as partner to provide a financial support and dilated on the organizations role in the country.
Ms. Mfodwo said: ” In terms of our work in Ghana, with the Pharmacy Council, and PSGH, MSH is focusing on conducting a mapping exercise to identify any gaps in access to medicines and out of that exercise we will provide information for strategic planning. So it is basically to support and provide additional capacity for effective strategic planning by the Council in Ghana in terms of the delivery of quality medicines and pharmaceutical services. So the result of this exercise will then be shared to a broad group of key stakeholders for input.”
The Head of Special Programmes at the Head Office of the Pharmacy Council, Trebi Quao advised operators of chemical and pharmacy shops to source their products from only accredited distributors and wholesalers.
The participants called for a mechanism to check the quality of medicines at the Regional Medical stores level. Some of the issues that came up for discussion were decentralization of renewals, human resource, timely communication to stakeholders and new job description for pharmacists.
Report and pictures by Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
