By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, July 14, GNA – The Government has reaffirmed the central role of community pharmacists in achieving universal health coverage and implementing the Free Primary Healthcare policy nationwide.
The Government said community pharmacies remained the country’s most accessible healthcare facilities and would be critical to expanding preventive healthcare and improving access to essential primary health services.
Mr Kwabena Minta Akandoh, the Minister of Health, said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Acting Chief Director at the launch of the fourth Community Practice Pharmacist Month celebration in Accra on the theme: “Community Pharmacist: Bridging the Gap in Primary Healthcare Delivery.”
“The Ministry of Health recognises and appreciates the incredible contribution of community pharmacies to improving healthcare accessibility and promoting the rational use of medicines. We cannot achieve true universal health coverage without the active, structured and passionate involvement of community pharmacies,” he said.
Mr Akandoh said the Free Primary Healthcare policy, launched earlier this year, marked a shift from curative care to disease prevention, wellness and community-based healthcare.
He said the first phase of the programme was being implemented in 150 selected districts, with nationwide rollout expected by 2028.
Under the policy, essential primary healthcare services, including the management of common illnesses such as malaria, would be provided free at the point of care, while health kiosks would be established to strengthen service delivery at the community level.
The Minister urged community pharmacists to expand routine screening for hypertension, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, strengthen health promotion and improve documentation of patient interactions to support national health planning.
“Excellent clinical work without documentation is invisible to policy,” he said, calling on the Community Practice Pharmacists Association (CPPA) to work with the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders to integrate pharmacy data into the national health information system.
Mr Akandoh also encouraged pharmacists to support healthcare delivery in underserved communities through initiatives such as telepharmacy and community health networks.
“The future of pharmacy practice in Ghana is no longer confined behind a glass counter. The future of pharmacy is in the heart of the community, at the policy table and embedded within our national health strategy,” he said.
Nana Dr Agyemang Boateng Kwadjan I, Santanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, who chaired the ceremony, described community pharmacists as indispensable partners in Ghana’s healthcare system.
“Community pharmacies bridge the gap between healthcare professionals and their communities by ensuring that quality pharmaceutical care is available to every Ghanaian regardless of location,” he said.
Dr Therestella Obosu Tei-Kwabla, National Chairperson of the CPPA, said this year’s month-long celebration included a Continuing Professional Development-accredited symposium, a community health outreach at Accra Central on July 25 and an awards and dinner night on July 31.
“The outreach demonstrates that community pharmacists are not limited to the four walls of the pharmacy. We extend our services into the communities where people need us most,” she said.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Samira Larbie