Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, swearing in the new board members of the Pharmacy Council.
A nine-member new governing board of the Pharmacy Council has been sworn into office with the task of ensuring compliance to regulations in the country’s drug administration system.
The Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu led the board, chaired by Doris Fosu-Hemaa Addae-Afoakwa, the President’s nominee, to take the oaths of office and secrecy.
Other members of the board are Pharm. Dr. Audu Rauf, Registrar, Pharmacy Council, Mrs. Joycelyn Naa Korkoi Azeez,, Ministry of Health representative, Prof. Berko Panyin Anto, Accredited Training Institutions representative and Pharm. Samuel Kow Donkoh Registered Pharmacist.
The rest are Dr. Alfred J. Aidoo, and Dr. Stanley Coffie, Dr. Mrs. Yvonne Ayongo Adu-Boahen Minister’s Nominees, and Ms Agnes Naakwaley Quartey-Papafio, State Attorney Department representative.
In his remarks, Mr. Agyeman-Manu expressed concern about the non adherence to drug administration regulations by some pharmacists citing the sale of prescription only drug to the public over-the-counter (OTC).
“Send your officials out and close the shops of people who are selling prescription drugs without prescriptions so that there will be sanity in the system,” Mr Agyeman-Manu suggested.
He also raised concerns about the abuse of certain drugs like Tramadol by lay people, questioning, “Is it not our own pharmacists who thought them, those of us who have gone to the university and learnt the trade?”
He said it was important to discourage indiscriminate use of medicines and other substances of abuse especially among the youth and charged the new Board to spearhead that agenda.
Board chair, Mrs Addae-Afoakwa pledged the readiness of the board to enhance the effectiveness of the council, address rational drug use in the country and ensure professional pharmacy practice.
“We will change how things are done by the Pharmacy Council,” she said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri