College of Pharmacists inducts 85 new members

The Ghana College of Pharmacists (GCP) has inducted 85 new members and fellows into the college, following their graduation as qualified pharmacists. 

The induction ceremony formed part of this year’s annual general meeting and scientific conference of the college in Accra last Tuesday, on the theme: “Specialist pharmacy service delivery for the attainment of universal health coverage towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)”.

In all, 77 members were inducted, including eight new fellows of the sixth and seventh batches of inductees. The event is a yearly meeting of pharmacists to reflect on past activities and share findings of new researches that could impact policy and pharmaceutical practice in the country.

Challenges

The Rector of GCP, Dr Yvonne Yirenkyiwaa Esseku, expressed concern over inadequate staff to execute the mandate of the school. She added that the school was unable to conduct accreditation and monitor visits, among other challenges, because “we have no official vehicle in good shape to support the conduct of accreditation and monitoring of visits”.

The rector, therefore, appealed to the government to support the training of pharmacists through the provision of the needed financial resources to carry out its obligations effectively.

The Director of Pharmacy Units at the Ministry of Health, Dr Joycelyn Aziz, said her outfit was working towards addressing the challenges. “With respect to human and other resources, we will work with the college to secure the necessary personnel within the constraints of our economic situation.

“We will also support the college with some vehicles for their activities in response to their urgent request,” she added.  Dr Aziz further said that the MoH was committed to offering the needed support to “the college to acquire premises that are commensurate with your work and the level of recognition the college consistently acquires across the continent”. 

She urged the new inductees to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to provide specialist pharmacy services at their respective workplaces to serve as good ambassadors of the college.

Paediatric Oncology

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Country Coordinator of World Child Cancer, Pinamang Boateng Desu, expressed satisfaction about the fact that some of the pharmacists the organisation supported to undertake Paediatric Oncology were among the graduates.

The inductees 

She said they would help complement the treatment of child cancer which had been on the rise in recent years.  The coordinator pledged further collaboration with the GCP to train more pharmacists to support the treatment of child cancer.