Dr. Daniel Amaning Danquah (2nd from left) with some of the participants
The acting Registrar of the Pharmacy Council, Dr. Daniel Amaning Danquah, has cautioned Off-the-Counter Medicine Sellers (OTCMS) popularly called ‘drug stores’, and licensed pharmacy proprietors to ensure that they operate within their stipulated scopes of practice.
He pointed out that the pharmacy sector was a regulated area because its activities affected human lives. “For that matter, it could not be left in the hands of unlicensed individuals or companies,” he stressed.
He then called on the general public to desist from purchasing any form of drug from peddlers who have not been licensed to sell medicines adding, “It is dangerous, risky and unhealthy to purchase their products.”
The acting Registrar of the Pharmacy Council disclosed this to journalists after a meeting with the leadership of OTCMS and other pharmacy operators from the Western Region.
The meeting was part of his familiarisation visit and to introduce himself and management of the Pharmacy Council to key stakeholders and brief them on the digital innovations or electronic-pharmacy procedures to enhance their services to the public.
He also warned the OTCMS to adhere to the directive not to sell category ‘A’ & ‘B’ medicines which are prescription medications, in their respective facilities.
“Some of the pharmacy proprietors and OTCMS sometimes veered off their scopes of practice and sold the wrong medicines to clients,” he revealed.
The Acting Registrar disclosed that the Council is set to carry out swoops on unlicensed facilities providing pharmacy services across the country, as part of measures to sanitise pharmaceutical practice.
Dr. Danquah said the nationwide exercise would be carried out with the support of the Ghana Police Service and other security services. “The task force will visit every region because we are acting on behalf of the entire nation,” he said.
He explained that the exercise was not only meant to stop the illegal practice by peddlers, but also to prosecute the illegal practitioners, stressing, “The safety of the public is our main concern.”
He stressed the need for pharmacy proprietors/owners to form an association to help them to articulate their concerns when the need arises.
Some of the participants described the visit by the Acting Registrar as timely and gratifying and commended the Council for the introduction of the digital innovations into the practice environment.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi