The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has reaffirmed its commitment to increasing local pharmaceutical production from the current estimated 30 percent to 70 percent as the country works towards greater medicine self-reliance.
Dr Paul Owusu Donkor, President of the PSGH, said achieving greater pharmaceutical self-sufficiency would require stronger industry capacity, investment in manufacturing infrastructure and effective regulation to ensure the safety and quality of medicines.
He said the Society’s 90th anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect on the development of pharmacy in Ghana and establish a clear pathway towards its centenary.
Dr Donkor said the PSGH had, over the years, worked to harmonise regulatory frameworks governing pharmaceutical practice and medicines to ensure that both practitioners and pharmaceutical products met the required standards.
“The practitioner must be fit for purpose and fit for practice. We must also assure that the product we put out there meets the standard and cures the condition for which it is taken,” he said.
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He said the Society’s proposed regulatory framework, including the Accra Declaration, was expected to provide a blueprint for strengthening pharmaceutical practice and medicine standards not only in Ghana but across the sub-region.
Dr Donkor said the goal was also to ensure that medicines manufactured in Ghana could meet international standards and compete beyond the country’s borders.
He outlined three key areas needed to achieve greater local pharmaceutical production: improving the capacity of pharmacists and other professionals, investing in manufacturing infrastructure, and strengthening regulatory systems.
“We are training our people, our pharmacists, to be industry-ready and able to produce the medicines that we want,” he said.
He added that investment in machinery, equipment and pharmaceutical plants would be critical to producing medicines that met domestic needs while creating opportunities for exports.
Dr Donkor said Ghana also had an opportunity to export its pharmaceutical regulatory expertise to other African countries, citing the contribution of Ghanaian professionals to the development of continental pharmaceutical regulation.
Mr Benjamin Botwey, a former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), said the PSGH’s 90th anniversary was an opportunity to examine the evolution of pharmacy regulation, pharmaceutical manufacturing and professional practice in Ghana.
He said discussions around the anniversary had focused on the need for pharmaceutical standards to be clearly defined, visible and science-based.
Mr Botwey said such standards were particularly important as Ghana expanded into vaccine production and new biotechnology-driven pharmaceutical products.
He noted that Ghanaian pharmacists had also contributed significantly to the development of the African Union model law for the regulation of medical products and the establishment of the African Medicines Agency.
According to him, Ghana’s pharmacy sector had undergone significant transformation over the past 90 years.
He cited improvements in community pharmacy, pharmacist education, pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulation and hospital pharmacy as some of the major achievements.
Mr Botwey said pharmacy education had progressed from certificate-level training to pharmacy technology, bachelor’s programmes and the current Doctor of Pharmacy programme.
He said pharmacists now spent about six to seven years in training, resulting in a more highly trained professional workforce.
He also noted that Ghana had moved from being almost entirely dependent on imported medicines before independence to having local pharmaceutical manufacturers producing medicines for the domestic market.
“We think that we’ll be able to even improve on that 30 percent moving forward,” he said.
Mr Botwey said the establishment and development of the FDA and Pharmacy Council had also strengthened the regulation of pharmaceutical products, pharmacies and professional practice.
He said hospital pharmacy had similarly expanded, with pharmacists now operating in specialised areas such as paediatrics, surgery and other clinical departments.
Mr Botwey urged the public to obtain medicines from licensed pharmacies and seek advice from qualified pharmacists before using medication.
He said pharmacies were regulated and could not simply be opened without meeting licensing requirements relating to the pharmacist, location, infrastructure and personnel.
He said pharmacists were expected to assess clients, provide appropriate medication and refer them for further medical evaluation where necessary.
Mr Botwey cautioned the public against purchasing medicines from unregulated sources based on advertisements or recommendations from individuals.
“Don’t buy medicines because you have heard some adverts. Don’t buy medicines because somebody has recommended it to you. Buy a medicine when it has been prescribed for you,” he said.
He also advised consumers to check the expiry dates of medicines and store them properly, particularly away from excessive heat and places accessible to children.
He said the 90-year journey of pharmacy in Ghana demonstrated the importance of maintaining public trust through professional practice, effective regulation and adherence to medicine quality standards.
The PSGH is using its 90th anniversary celebrations to examine the development of pharmacy in Ghana and outline priorities for the next decade towards its centenary.
