Pharmacists Are Key to Ghana's Healthcare Quality, Says Asantehene

Asantehene Emphasises Critical Role of Pharmaceutical Workforce

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has stressed that Ghana's success in delivering quality healthcare hinges on deliberate government investment in training and deploying qualified pharmacists across the country. Speaking at the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana's Professor Tackie RxEdu Forum in Kumasi, the traditional leader underscored that no health system can operate effectively without a well-trained and properly utilised pharmaceutical workforce.

Addressing members and students of the profession during the Society's 90th anniversary celebrations, Otumfuo urged pharmacists to uphold the highest standards of practice and resist the temptation to compromise quality for expansion. He called on practitioners to position themselves as experts in the safe, effective, and rational use of medicines rather than mere dispensers, emphasising that their relevance will be determined by the value they deliver to patients.

The Asantehene reiterated that sustained investment in the pharmaceutical sector must form part of any serious healthcare development agenda. "Investments in healthcare must include deliberate attention to the development and deployment of pharmacists across all levels of care," he stated.

Dr. Paul Owusu Donkor, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, echoed these sentiments, pledging that pharmacists will never compromise on the safety and efficacy of medicines dispensed to Ghanaians. He called on government and the public to recognise the indispensable role of the profession in the nation's healthcare system.

The forum, held under the theme "90 Years of Science, Impact, and Legacy: Repositioning Pharmacy for the Future," also recognised distinguished contributions to the profession, including honouring the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson.