To perpetuate his long-standing tradition of visiting and engaging pharmacists in various regions, President Samuel Know Donkoh joined the Ashanti regional branch of the Society for their first quarter meeting.

The region holds regular quarterly meetings to deliberate on issues that affect the profession, and for leaders to render accounts of their stewardship whiles taking feedback and ideas from members.

In his address, Pharm. Samuel Know Donkoh touched on some objectives of the PSGH Strategic Plan for the year 2023. Notably, he mentioned that the self-regulation and monitoring for the presence of pharmacists in pharmacies that have been undertaken in some parts of Accra will soon be replicated in Kumasi.

He also stressed the need for data-driven advocacy at all levels. In this regard, the PSGH leadership has engaged pharmacists in Academia to provide empirical data on pertinent issues that affect the profession.

The president also stressed on the need for pharmacists to subscribe to the PSGH-GLICO life insurance policy so that pharmacists and their dependents have some financial risk protection against some serious diseases and even death.

The President further encouraged colleague pharmacists to build their capacity to compete equally at all levels with their colleagues in the health sector. Building capacity will help put Pharmacists in influential or key positions that would help drive policies in favor of Pharmacists.  He added the need to also develop skills in areas relevant to the practice of pharmacists. In that regard, the president announced that the PSGH has engaged the Ghana College of Pharmacists to mount short courses for pharmacists who would want to go into the industry to become production pharmacists. He also announced plans to support selected GHOSPA members to pursue specialization courses at the College.

Pharm. Dr. Richmond Adusa-Poku, the PSGH executive member also admonished colleague pharmacists to desist from what he described as “the hanging certificate syndrome”, a phenomenon where pharmacists hang their licenses as superintendents but do not visit the facility to work or oversee operations. If you cannot be there, recommend a locum pharmacist, he added. He also admonished his colleague pharmacists to continuously learn to strengthen their intellectual capacity as new information keeps coming in on regular basis.

Other issues such as the welfare of pharmacists and hospitals operating pharmacies without pharmacists were also discussed.