Health Ministry Backs Specialist Pharmacist Training Under MahamaCare

Story by Fada Amakye

The Ministry of Health has pledged stronger support for specialist pharmacist training, saying community pharmacists will be central to delivering the government’s “quality free primary health care” agenda under MahamaCare.

Speaking at the Ghana College of Pharmacists Annual General Meeting and Certificate Conference, Dr. Hafiz Adam Taher, Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, said the theme of this year’s conference — specialist training as a key tool for quality — aligns perfectly with government priorities.

There’s no gainsaying how important specialist pharmacy training is in attaining the government goal of quality free primary health care,” Dr. Taher said. “We know when we get anything free, how we treat it, and so the addition of quality free primary health care for all residents in Ghana means at primary level all advanced health services will be available when needed.

Dr. Taher said community pharmacies will be “particularly involved, centrally, in this initiative, as they represent the first point of call for most community members who feel unwell.

He urged more pharmacists to pursue specialization at the Ghana College of Pharmacists to provide “relevant and advanced services at the community level for the benefit of our people.

He noted that specialist pharmacist training produces pharmacists who can “design and produce state-of-the-art medicines and medical devices, provide up-to-date information to other healthcare professionals, and counsel consumers and caregivers on proper use of medicines.

In recognition of this, Dr. Taher said specialist pharmacists are earmarked for training support from the Ghana Medical Trust Fund under “MahamaCare, Excellency John Mahama.” He also took note of calls to increase the number of beneficiaries and extend training from 3 to 5 years: “I’ve taken very good note of your plea to increase this number and also increase the period.

The Ministry expects pharmacists will be trained from across the country to ensure specialized services are available nationwide. Dr. Taher added that the engagement will also support “facility-based training” so pharmacists needing specialization won’t have to relocate to other regions.

“Since its inception, the Ghana College of Pharmacy has contributed significantly to health outcomes,” he said, citing its role in training specialists, providing continuous professional development, contributing to health policies, and supporting public health nationwide.