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Report by Bernard K DADZIE
The Ghana College of Pharmacists has held its 2022 annual general meeting (AGM) and scientific conference and also inducted seven more members into the college.
The theme for this year’s annual general meeting and the scientific conference was “Improving Access to Quality Health Services Through Specialist Pharmacy Training”.
The President of the Ghana College of Pharmacists, Pharm. Joseph Kodjo Nsiah Nyoagbe, commended the government’s foresight and efforts in recognizing the role of human resource development in socio-economic development by investing in the establishment, resourcing and maintenance of the college and other sister colleges.
He therefore urged the new members to the future with pride and a sense of accomplishment for all that they had achieved over the past few years at the Ghana college of pharmacists. You now stand on the brink of new chapter of you professional career as it turns a new page.”
Pharm. Joseph Kodjo Nsiah Nyoagbe, tasked the new members to believe themselves to the depths of their being. “You have the ability. There should be no space for complacency. With determination and passion you can bring out the best in you. Determination is the tool you can employ to defeat discouragements , to overcome temporary failure and to prevent failure from becoming permanent,” he said.
The Rector of Ghana College of Pharmacists, Pharm. Yvonne Yirenkyiwaa Esseku, observed that the Ghana College of Pharmacists has benefited greatly from very committed partners such as Ghana Health Service has supported the training of the public health candidates by incorporating them into the public health teams both at the head office and the Regional and District Health Directorates.
According to her, this candidates have obtained great levels of exposure and built their competences in these areas preparing them to contribute effectively to the public health drive in Ghana.
She continued that Ghana Health Service, recognizing the role of pharmacists could play in vaccination, both with COVID-19 vaccine and other life course vaccines, has collaborated with them in the training of pharmacist vaccinators.
This paper can confirmed that over one hundred 100 pharmacists are training across the country in various Ghana Health Service facilities. This pharmacist vaccinators, she said are going to be incorporated into teams for outreach programs as the need arises.
Instituted by the Specialist Health Training and Plant Medicine Research Act, Act 833 of 2011, the college is mandated to, among others, promote specialist training in pharmacy and related disciplines, promote research in pharmaceutical practice and related disciplines and contribute to the formulation of policies on sound health, medicines and public health generally.
Coinciding with its 10th anniversary, the two-day meeting is being held on the theme: “Improving access to quality healthcare services through specialist pharmacist training.”
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in a speech read by Naa Koko, Ministry of Health on his behalf at the opening of the conference in Accra yesterday, underscored the critical role of specialist pharmacists in delivering quality healthcare services and universal health coverage.
According to the minister, specialist pharmacists provided unique skill sets that were required in all aspects of healthcare delivery.
“The medicines that are used in the management of diseases have to be quality and able to provide the needed results. The prescriber must also have updated information on the medicines being prescribed.
“Although every pharmacist has basic training to provide support and offer some pharmaceutical services, a specialist pharmacist has more professional and practical exposure and is able to guide both prescribers and users on how best to use medications,” he said.
Mr Agyeman-Manu said specialist pharmacists also provided guidance for policymakers and public health practitioners to ensure that the right structures were put in place, and that all medicines, including vaccines, were handled and utilized to provide expected outcomes.
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