President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana- Dr. Paul Owusu Donkor, PhD

The atmosphere at Akropong was charged with pride, reflection and ambition as the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana officially launched its 90th anniversary celebrations with a stirring call for pharmacists to take centre stage in shaping the future of healthcare in Ghana.

Delivering what many described as a defining speech for the profession, PSGH President Paul Owusu Donkor declared that the anniversary must not merely celebrate history, but ignite transformation.

“Let it not be said that we celebrated ninety years and remained unchanged,” he charged. “Let it be said that at ninety, we defined a new direction.”

Under the anniversary theme, “Science. Impact. Legacy — 90 Years of Pharmaceutical Excellence,” the President took the audience through the remarkable evolution of pharmacy in Ghana, tracing its roots to 1935 when pioneers led by William Ayiah Hansen united fragmented pharmacy groups to form what became the Pharmaceutical Society of the Gold Coast. According to him, that defining act of unity laid the foundation for a profession that would grow to become one of the most trusted pillars of Ghana’s healthcare system. “The strength of pharmacy in this country has never been accidental,” he stated. “It has always been constructed through organisation, through advocacy, and through a clear understanding that a profession without structure cannot command respect.”

But while the speech celebrated history, it also carried a powerful message about the future. In what became one of the most quoted moments of the event, the PSGH President warned that Ghana’s health system was failing to fully utilise pharmacists despite their accessibility and expertise.

“A health system that overlooks its pharmacists is a health system operating below its potential,” he declared to loud applause. He described pharmacists as one of the most embedded healthcare professionals within communities, noting that in many parts of Ghana, pharmacies are often the first place people turn to for care, guidance, reassurance, and immediate intervention.

Yet, he argued, pharmacists continue to operate within a system that recognises their presence without fully integrating their capabilities. “Community pharmacies must not remain peripheral,” he stressed. “They must become integral to primary healthcare delivery.”

The speech paid glowing tribute to generations of pharmacist-scientists, researchers, manufacturers, regulators, and policy leaders whose contributions have shaped both Ghana and global health. Among those celebrated was Albert Nii Tackie, whose work in pharmaceutical education and medicinal chemistry helped elevate Ghana’s scientific standing internationally. The President also highlighted Paul Lartey for pioneering local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and Francis Martei Dickson for developing locally relevant medical innovations at a time when imported alternatives dominated healthcare delivery.He further praised the achievements of Kwasi Adomako Ohemeng for his contribution to groundbreaking antibiotic research and Cynthia Amaning Danquah for advancing natural product and tuberculosis research.

The President also spotlighted leaders whose influence extends beyond pharmacy practice into governance, industry, and continental health systems. He commended Delese Mimi Darko for making history as the first Director-General of the African Medicines Agency, while recognising Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt for helping shape Ghana’s pharmaceutical policy architecture over decades of public service. Industry leaders such as Kofi Nsiah-Poku and Ernest Bediako Sampong were celebrated for strengthening local medicine production and expanding access to quality healthcare across the country.

Throughout the address, one theme remained unmistakable: pharmacy must evolve from a supportive profession into a central force within Ghana’s healthcare future. The PSGH President called for stronger local pharmaceutical manufacturing, expanded clinical pharmacy services, modernised regulation, and deliberate integration of pharmacists into primary healthcare systems. “This is not ambition for its own sake,” he cautioned. “It is a necessity.” He emphasised that the future of healthcare would require greater coordination, accessibility, and efficiency,  areas where pharmacists are uniquely positioned to lead.

To the government, he delivered a direct message: integrating pharmacists into primary healthcare “is not optional, it is essential.

To the public, he reaffirmed that pharmacists remain among the most accessible and trusted healthcare professionals in Ghana.

And to pharmacists themselves, he issued perhaps the most emotional challenge of the evening: to protect the profession’s legacy not through celebration alone, but through bold action and leadership.

“Legacy is not what we celebrate,” he concluded. “Legacy is what we continue.”

The launch officially opens a year-long celebration of the Society’s 90th anniversary, expected to feature scientific conferences, educational initiatives, public health campaigns, and the newly unveiled “90 Acts of Service” programme, a nationwide initiative designed to celebrate pharmacists whose compassion and service embody the Society’s enduring motto: Friends of the Human Race.

Read the full speech here: PRESIDENT’S FULL SPEECH