The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has issued a wide-ranging national call to action on the future of pharmaceutical care, warning that Ghana’s ambitions for universal health coverage, medicines security and a stronger domestic pharmaceutical industry will require deliberate investment in pharmacists, regulation, local manufacturing and the protection of critical national resources. The Society made the call in a communiqué issued at the close of its 2026 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Accra, which climaxed PSGH’s 90th Anniversary celebrations under the theme, “Science. Impact. Legacy. 90 Years of Pharmaceutical Excellence.” The meeting brought together pharmacists from across practice settings as well as government, regulators, academia, industry, development partners and students.

The communiqué reflects a profession seeking to translate its nine-decade history into a more expansive role in Ghana’s health system, with priorities ranging from medicine manufacturing and primary healthcare to workforce planning, digital pharmaceutical practice, environmental protection and illicit drug control.

Make medicine security a national priority

At the centre of the communiqué is a strong push for Ghana to reduce its dependence on imported medicines by rapidly expanding domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. PSGH described local pharmaceutical production as both a health-security imperative and an economic opportunity and backed the Government’s five-year strategy to substantially increase the proportion of medicines produced locally. Society called for coordinated action in procurement, financing, regulation, research and workforce development to support the industry.

The Government has publicly stated its ambition to reverse Ghana’s heavy dependence on imported medicines and move towards producing at least 70 per cent of medicines used locally within five years.  Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, speaking at the opening of the PSGH anniversary conference, similarly emphasised strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing as part of Ghana’s health-security agenda, while stressing that robust quality standards must accompany expanded production.

PSGH said a stronger local industry could help insulate Ghana from global supply-chain disruptions while creating skilled jobs, stimulating research and innovation, retaining economic value in the country, and positioning Ghana to compete in the wider African pharmaceutical market.

Patient safety must remain supreme as pharmacy goes digital

The Society also placed patient protection at the heart of its agenda for the coming decade through the Accra Declaration on Pharmaceutical Standards. According to the communiqué, the Declaration seeks to strengthen pharmaceutical practice and regulation around principles including quality-assured medicines, accountable pharmacy practice, competent professionals, evidence-based advice, protection of patient information, equitable access and consistent standards across physical, digital and cross-border pharmaceutical services.

The growing use of online pharmacies, telepharmacy, electronic prescriptions and artificial intelligence, PSGH noted, offers important opportunities but also requires regulation to evolve alongside innovation. Its position is clear: technological advancement in healthcare should strengthen rather than dilute professional accountability and patient safeguards.

PSGH pushes for pharmacists at the heart of primary healthcare

One of the communiqué’s strongest health-system proposals is the accelerated integration of pharmacists and pharmacies into primary healthcare. PSGH welcomed the recognition of pharmacies within the Government’s Free Primary Healthcare policy but said Ghana must go further by deliberately harnessing the accessibility of community pharmacies and the clinical expertise of pharmacists. The Society pointed to experience from a pilot programme in northern Ghana involving reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services as evidence that pharmacies can serve as effective points of access to essential healthcare services.

Pharmacist unemployment ‘a public-health threat’

The Society also adopted unusually strong language on unemployment among pharmacists, delays in housemanship and difficulties surrounding financial clearance. PSGH described these challenges as no longer merely professional concerns but a public-health threat, arguing that Ghana cannot afford to leave trained pharmaceutical expertise underutilised while the health system continues to face medicines-related challenges.  The communiqué said appropriately deployed pharmacists can support medication safety, reduce preventable medication errors, strengthen antimicrobial stewardship, improve adherence and chronic-disease management and help health systems obtain greater value from expenditure on medicines.

It consequently called on the Ministries of Health and Finance, the Pharmacy Council, training institutions and other agencies to urgently tackle workforce planning, housemanship and employment.

“Universal health coverage cannot be achieved without universal access to quality pharmaceutical care,” the Society stated.

Illegal mining is also a medicines-security issue, PSGH warns

The pharmacists’ body further brought a health-sector perspective to Ghana’s continuing debate over illegal and irresponsible mining, arguing that the destruction and contamination of rivers, forests and farmlands extends well beyond environmental concerns.

Safe water, PSGH noted, is indispensable to human health and is also an essential input in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The Society therefore linked the protection of Ghana’s water resources directly to the country’s pharmaceutical industrialisation ambitions, warning that the nation cannot simultaneously pursue greater pharmaceutical self-reliance while degrading the water resources on which communities, health institutions and manufacturers depend.

Drug trafficking: beyond border security

PSGH also expressed concern over major international drug seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana, cautioning that illicit drug trafficking has consequences extending far beyond law enforcement and border security. The Society said the risks include addiction, crime, violence, physical and mental-health harms, threats to young people, disruption of legitimate commerce and potential damage to Ghana’s international reputation.

It called for stronger intelligence-led surveillance at ports and borders, better protection of legitimate supply chains, international cooperation and investigation and prosecution of networks involved in illicit trafficking.

From 90 years of history to a new decade of responsibility

The communiqué was issued as PSGH concluded a milestone anniversary year and marked World Pharmacists Day alongside the second edition of the PSGH Pharma Excellence Awards, which recognised individuals and institutions across Ghana’s pharmaceutical sector.  But beyond the celebrations, the Society used the conclusion of its 90th year to signal a transition from reflecting on the profession’s history to demonstrating its value more visibly within national development.

PSGH called on patients and the wider public to engage pharmacists more actively for professional advice on medicines and healthcare, while reaffirming the profession’s commitment to putting patient safety and well-being first.

As the Society enters its tenth decade, its final message was one of collective responsibility involving government, regulators, industry, pharmacists and the public.

“Science must guide us. Impact must define us. Legacy must endure.”

And perhaps the communiqué’s clearest statement of intent for the years ahead was its closing declaration:

“The first 90 years built the profession. The next decade must demonstrate its full value to Ghana.”

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Story by Dr Harry Okyere