By Stanley Senya
Accra, July 14, GNA – The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has condemned the closure of Cape Coast Pharmacy during the National Sanitation Day exercise, describing the action as unnecessary and disruptive to essential healthcare services.
The Society said it was concerned by a widely circulated video showing the Cape Coast Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) directing the closure of the pharmacy and ordering patrons to leave the premises during the clean-up exercise held on Friday, July 10.
In a statement signed by Mr Paul Owusu Donkor, President of the PSGH, the Society said although it fully supported the Government’s commitment to improving environmental sanitation and applauded the President’s call for a nationwide clean-up exercise, implementation of the directive should not interfere with essential healthcare delivery.
The statement noted that community pharmacies play a critical role in Ghana’s healthcare system, often serving as the first point of contact for patients seeking medicines, emergency treatment, health advice and pharmaceutical care, especially outside normal working hours and on weekends.
According to the Society, community pharmacies provide services including dispensing medicines for acute illnesses, refilling prescriptions for chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma, offering emergency contraception, first aid services, treatment for minor ailments and professional counselling on the safe use of medicines.
It warned that interrupting such services, even for a few hours, could delay treatment, worsen medical conditions, and potentially endanger lives.
The PSGH explained that under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), community pharmacies are licensed healthcare facilities operating under the supervision of pharmacists, who have a statutory responsibility to ensure safe and uninterrupted pharmaceutical care.
It added that the Government had recognised community pharmacies as primary healthcare providers, reflecting their role in frontline healthcare delivery, disease prevention, medicine access, and patient counselling.
The Society, therefore, urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and officials responsible for enforcing public directives to recognise and respect the status of community pharmacies when implementing government policies.
The statement recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacies were exempted from movement restrictions under the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012), through Executive Instruments 64 and 65, to ensure continuous access to medicines and pharmaceutical services.
According to the PSGH, the precedent underscored the importance of allowing essential health facilities to remain operational during national emergencies and public interventions.
The Society further noted that international best practice recognises pharmacies as essential services that should continue operating during public emergencies and national exercises unless specific public health concerns dictate otherwise.
It, therefore, described the closure of Cape Coast Pharmacy and the removal of clients from the premises as disproportionate and inconsistent with the critical healthcare role performed by community pharmacies.
The PSGH called on the Cape Coast MCE and other public officials to exercise restraint when enforcing directives involving healthcare facilities, stressing that such actions should be guided by legality, proportionality, consultation and an appreciation of the role of essential service providers.
The Society also encouraged pharmacy owners, superintendent pharmacists and support staff to continue supporting national sanitation programmes by adopting duty rosters that would enable some personnel to participate in clean-up exercises while ensuring uninterrupted service delivery.
It called on Government, Regional Coordinating Councils, MMDCEs and agencies responsible for organising national clean-up exercises to formally recognise community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies and other pharmaceutical service points as essential health facilities.
The PSGH recommended the development of clear operational guidelines to prevent disruptions to healthcare services and eliminate uncertainty among enforcement officers during future national exercises.
It also advocated stronger collaboration between local authorities and professional health bodies before the implementation of directives that could affect healthcare delivery.
The Society appealed to the public to continue supporting national sanitation initiatives, noting that environmental cleanliness and uninterrupted access to medicines were complementary public health priorities that should be pursued simultaneously.
It reaffirmed its commitment to supporting government programmes that promote public health, environmental sanitation and national development while calling for practical measures to safeguard uninterrupted pharmaceutical services during future national exercises.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah