The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged the government to make deliberate investments in the training and deployment of pharmacists across the country to enhance healthcare delivery.
"No health system can function effectively without a strong, well-trained, and properly utilised pharmaceutical workforce," he stressed.
He mentioned that investments in healthcare must include deliberate attention and investments towards the training and deployment of pharmacists across all levels of care in the nation.
Forum
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made the remarks as a special guest of honour while addressing an event on pharmacy education as part of activities commemorating the 90th anniversary celebration of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana at the Jubilee Hall, Manhyia Palace.
The event was themed: "Futureproofing pharmacy through pharmacy education."
Dubbed the "Prof. Tackie RxEdu Forum and Gala Night," the ceremony was also used to honour the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Professor Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson, who is also a pharmacist, for her contributions towards pharmacy education and practice.
Future of profession
The Asantehene said the future of the pharmacy profession would not be determined by numbers, but by the quality of those who train and the standards that are enforced, and added that the evolution from B-Pharm to PharmD reflects an understanding that healthcare has changed.
He said the demands on pharmacists today were greater, more clinical, more patient-focused, and more integrated into a broader healthcare system, stressing that "this direction must not only be maintained, but it must also be deepened and preserved."
"But let me state clearly, education does not end in the classroom. The period of preceptorship, where knowledge is translated into practice, is not a formality. I expect that those entrusted with training the next generation, whether in universities, hospitals, industries, or community pharmacies, will treat this responsibility with the seriousness it deserves," he said.
Not compromise quality
"To the leadership of the profession, I say this: do not compromise on quality in the name of expansion, as the integrity of the profession depends on the discipline you enforce today," the Asantehene stated.
He reminded them that standards must be consistent, supervision must be intentional, and outcomes must be measurable, adding: "You must position yourselves not only as dispensers of medicine, but as experts of safe, effective, and rational use of medicines within our health system."
While urging the public to respect the role of pharmacists and make use of their expertise, he stated that pharmacists are a critical point of access to healthcare, particularly at the community level.
Backbone
The President of the PSGH, Dr Paul Owusu Donkor, stated that the backbone of the success of the health of all Ghanaians is premised on what pharmacists bring to the healthcare table at all times.
Responding to the Asantehene's call for them not to compromise on quality, he called on pharmacists to uphold the tenets of the profession, particularly integrity and compassion for all.
He called for the empowerment of pharmacists to go into the local production of medicines to safeguard the health of all Ghanaians and said local production of medicines currently stands at only 30 per cent.
"We should be self-sufficient and dependent when it comes to our pharmaceutical needs. We want to see a Ghana that does 70 per cent of its pharmaceutical care needs," Dr Donkor said.
Panel discussion
During a panel discussion on the topic: "The state of pharmacy education in Ghana: Strengthening preceptorship for the future," a PharmD graduate, Dr Rhoda Delali Agbenyo, called for standardisation to enhance preceptorship within the pharmacy profession.
She stated that it was essential for pharmacy practice not to be limited to clinicals, but rather pharmacists must be encouraged to venture into other areas within the healthcare sector.
A community pharmacy preceptor and Chief Executive Officer of Garrison Pharmacy in Kumasi, Dr Richmond Adusa-Poku, stressed the need for preceptors to be incentivised to motivate them in the training of students.
Another panellist, a representative of the PSGH Deans Forum, Professor Kwame Ohene Buabeng, stated that preceptorship was essential as it bridges the gap between theory and practice.
