The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has urged actors in the pharmaceutical supply chain, including manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers to take urgent steps to reduce the prices of medicines.
According to the PSGH, the cost of medicines should reflect Cedi’s improved performance against the major trading currencies of the world.
The PSGH in a statement issued by its President, Pharm. Samuel Kow Donkoh said it has taken note of the high prices of medicines, despite the appreciation of the Cedi, although the original reason for the high prices was mainly due to the recent depreciation of the Cedi.
“The PSGH wishes to highlight that the pharmaceutical business also provides an important social life-saving benefit.
Access to medicines and other medical products must therefore be of utmost priority at every point in time for all relevant stakeholders,” it said.
The PSGH further called on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to urgently work together to ensure payment of arrears owed providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), “so that providers, in turn, can pay their suppliers of pharmaceutical products. We believe this will also contribute further to the reduction in prices of medicines.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri