Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has called on the government and other stakeholders to check the advertisement and marketing of uncertified herbal medicines and alcoholics because of the danger they pose to society.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the President of PSGH, Mr James Ohemeng Kyei, said there was a widespread and unchecked access to all classes of medicine marketed and sold across the country, including direct-to-consumer advertisement in the media.
The press conference was intended for the society to convey the outcome of its annual general meeting held in Cape Coast in September, 2012.
The theme for the society’s annual meeting was; “Rational use of Medicine: A Key to Quality Health Outcomes”.
According to Mr Kyei, “the absence of pharmacists to ensure professional pharmaceutical care and supervision in the private, public and other health facilities where medicines are managed, prescribed, dispensed and used was taking a huge toll on scarce national resources and putting patients at unacceptable risks”.
Mr Kyei further entreated the government to expedite action on the establishment of the Ghana College of Pharmacists as a statutory institution to provide post-qualification specialist training for pharmacists in the country, as well as ensure that existing statutes including the Pharmacy Act 489, 1994, the Food and Drugs Law, PNDC Law 305b and all related legislation be adhered to in the interest of Ghanaians.
He underscored the need for the government to equally speed up the financial clearance and all related matters for the employment of more pharmacists in the government health facilities, the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to support clinicians in ensuring rational use of medicines across the country.
Towards rational use of medicines, the PSGH President recommended that there was a rational need to ensure a clear separation between prescribing and dispensing of medicines to help improve patient safety, reduce the chances of resistance strains of micro-organisms and high cost of healthcare, as well as promote the sustainability of the National Health Insurance scheme (NHIS).
“It is imperative that one of the essential commodities in health is medicines and needed to be bought, managed and used rationally in line with international best practices and for the safety and benefit of the patient,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) publication of 2010 indicated that more than 50 per cent of all medicines were prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately and 50 per cent of patients failed to take them correctly.
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