Ghana’s pharmaceutical profession rolled out the red carpet for excellence as the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) honoured 25 outstanding individuals and institutions at the second edition of the PSGH Pharma Excellence Awards, held on 25 September 2026 at the La Palme Royal Beach Hotel in Accra. Staged in the Society’s 90th anniversary year under the theme “Science. Impact. Legacy. — 90 Years of Pharmaceutical Excellence,” the awards celebrated achievement across professional practice, research, education, regulation, public health, manufacturing, community and hospital pharmacy, distribution, entrepreneurship and institutional leadership.

The night’s highest honour, the Kwabena Ohene-Manu Lifetime Achievement Award, went to Pharm. Isaac Otieku-Boadu, recognised for a career spanning pharmaceutical manufacturing, entrepreneurship, professional leadership, institutional development and the welfare of pharmacists. Unlike the competitive categories, the Lifetime Achievement Award is selected by PSGH’s Standing Executive Committee and is not open to public nomination.

Otieku-Boadu succeeded Pharm. Abraham Gyesie, who received the same honour at the inaugural awards in 2025. That first edition, held at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, recognised 23 individuals and organisations and established the awards as a major platform for celebrating excellence across Ghana’s pharmaceutical sector.

Big wins across the profession

Among the major named awards in 2026, the University of Ghana School of Pharmacy received the Prof. N. A. Tackie Award for Excellence in Pharmacy Education for a second year running, while Pharm. Mrs. Sybil Nana Ama Ossei-Agyeman-Yeboah won the T. C. Corquaye Award for Excellence in Regulation.

The Ernest Bediako Sampong Award for Pharma CEO of the Year went to Dr. (Pharm.) Mrs. Patience Tsegah.

Individual honours reflected the breadth of modern pharmacy practice. Dr. (Pharm.) Hellen Miibil Adok was named Young Achiever, Dr. (Pharm.) Isaac Buabeng Nyantakyi won Community Pharmacist of the Year, and Dr. (Pharm.) Elvis Duorinaa took Hospital Pharmacist of the Year.

Other winners included Pharm. Isaac Nkrumah for Digital Health and Innovation in Pharmacy Practice; Dr. (Pharm.) Grace Naa Ardua Nelson for Ethical Health Promotion and Regulatory Affairs; Dr. (Pharm.) Ruby Anne Biaku for Health Systems, Public Health and Administration Excellence; Prof. (Pharm.) Priscilla Kolibea Mante as Academic Pharmacist of the Year; Prof. (Pharm.) Kwasi Adomako Ohemeng for Excellence in Pharma Practice Research; and Rev. Pharm. Lewis Lloyd Crabbe, FPSGH, for Excellence in Herbal and Traditional Medicine.

Institutions also share the spotlight

The institutional categories produced an equally diverse field of winners.

Kofikrom Pharmacy Ltd won Community Pharmacy of the Year and also picked up Small-Scale Manufacturer of the Year. Jehovah Shammah Pharmacy Ltd was recognised as Community Pharmacy of the Year, Underserved Areas, while Top-Up Pharmacy was named Community Pharmacy Chain of the Year.

In hospital practice, the University of Ghana Medical Centre won Hospital Pharmacy of the Year, while the Pharmacy Department of Baptist Medical Centre, Nalerigu took the underserved-area hospital pharmacy award. The Kintampo Health Research Centre retained prominence in research as Clinical Trials Research Center of the Year.

On the industrial side, Kinapharma Ltd won both Export-Oriented Pharmaceutical Manufacturer and Manufacturing Excellence, while Unicom Chemist Limited took Wholesale and Distribution Excellence. Novartis was named Multinational Company of the Year, and Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd emerged Pharmaceutical Company of the Year.

Award Governance framework

PSGH also placed considerable emphasis on the integrity of the awards process.

According to the official awards governance framework, nominations were vetted for eligibility and scored by an independent judging panel against published criteria. For relevant practice-group categories, verified member voting contributed 20% of the final score, with judges accounting for the remaining 80%. The process also included independent review, with Deloitte named as reviewer of the 2026 process.

The 2026 awards structure comprises 26 categories across eight award families, with 25 open to public nomination and the Lifetime Achievement Award reserved for selection by the PSGH leadership.

Celebrating what pharmacy often does quietly

Beyond trophies and titles, the significance of the Pharma Excellence Awards lies in making visible work that often happens away from the public spotlight. A hospital pharmacist preventing a medication error, a community pharmacist extending care into an underserved area, a researcher producing evidence, a regulator protecting medicine quality, a manufacturer strengthening local production, or an entrepreneur building a sustainable pharmacy business may operate in very different spaces, but all contribute to the same health system.