Ghanaians will soon be empowered to take active roles in health care, so as to minimize abuse and misuse of drugs and subsequently reduce the cost of health care.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG) in collaboration with Pharma Info Consult seeks to achieve the above through an initiative dubbed "Ask Your Pharmacist" designed to promote good health among Ghanaians.
In the new paradigm shift of the Ministry of Health which points to preventive health, pharmacists are in a better position to counsel the public on disease prevention and health promotion, stated Mrs. Ellen Sam, Chairperson of the Public Health Committee of PSG, at the launch of the initiative in Accra.
She said the initiative would empower patients and the public to demand to speak to pharmacists for solutions to health care problems and also make the public know that pharmacists are the experts on medications.
Mrs. Sam noted that the campaign is timely and important, particularly when the National Health Insurance Scheme is in operation; thus making more people access health care although the number of health professionals has not increased substantially to match the pace of health care delivery.
She said the Society will capitalize on recent improvement in telecommunications and improve communication between them and prescribers by developing community directories of prescribers in hospitals and clinics, to facilitate interactions with prescribers, especially when there are issues to be discussed for the benefit of the patient.
Through the campaign, the pharmaceutical industry will form an intranet link between community pharmacies and wholesalers to facilitate the promptness and efficiency in service delivery.
Further, she said the initiative will facilitate mutual education among pharmacists and other members of the pharmaceutical care team through symposia in Accra, Ashanti and Western regions, as well as build expertise in topics such as malaria, nutrition, multivitamins, efficacy and safety of medication from natural and herbal sources.
As a means to ensure that the right pharmaceutical service is provided, Mr. Ken Owusu, Director of Information and Research at the Pharmacy Council disclosed that the council has accredited certain institutions to train medicine counter assistants.
He urged all superintendent pharmacists to enroll their assistants in order to improve service delivery.
He admitted that the council has not been able to effectively regulate the activities of herbal medical practitioners because they are scattered. However, he said the council is in the process of registering them.
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