The Minister responsible for health, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has called on pharmacists to support Government’s initiatives in the health and pharmaceutical sector. This call was made in a speech at the just ended Annual General Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana which was held in Tamale.

In his address, read on his behalf by the Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari, the minister used the opportunity to solicit the support of Pharmacists at all levels across the country to support the Framework Contracting Arrangement, a supply chain improvement initiate adopted by the Ministry of Health as part of its health sector reforms to help improve the operational efficiency of our health facilities by ensuring the availability of high-quality medicines and other medical supplies at affordability prices.

Hon. Minister further charged pharmacists and investors to take advantage of opportunities available and venture into local production of pharmaceuticals.

“In addition to tax relief measures, restriction of selected medicines for local production only, grant support under the 1D1F, enhanced regulatory environment, and availability of competent workforce, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) also provides an opportunity for a large, committed, and aggregated markets which is necessary to strengthen the commercial viability and long-term sustainability of local manufacturers”.

The minister stressed that local production of pharmaceuticals will result in less strain on trade balances, improvement in the skilled labor pool, and an easing of foreign-exchange requirements.

He also challenged the Ghana College of Pharmacists to train more specialist pharmacists to contribute to achieving universal health coverage.