Speaking at the West Africa Pharma and Healthcare Expo in Accra on Wednesday, Dr Amaning said telemedicine made healthcare more accesible and lowered medical costs.

Telemedicine provides remote clinical services through real-time audio-visual communication between patients and healthcare providers.

It includes virtual appointments, remote patient monitoring, and medical information sharing, benefiting areas with restricted healthcare access.

Dr Amaning said the implementation of the National Electronic Pharmacy (NEP) would enhance pharmaceutical regulation, promote access to safe medications, and ensure accurate medical information.

He noted that NEP enabled telemedicine regulation to prevent certain medicines from being dispensed via the platform, even under prescription.

He urged collaboration within the pharmaceutical industry to advance telemedicine in Ghana.

Pharmacist Samuel Otuo-Serebour, Managing Director of Drugnet Ghana, said telepharmacy saved time, offered convenience, and ensured privacy.

"Telepharmacy makes it easy for people to have quick access to medication in the comfort of their homes in real time," he said.
He urged the pharmaceutical industry to embrace telepharmacy, noting its vast market potential.

Drugnet, he added, was seeking partners to help expand the telemedicine sector.

Mr. Otuo-Serebour said Drugnet was shaping Ghana's healthcare future by ensuring easy access to quality, safe, and affordable medications.

"Drugnet has qualified and certified nurses who are at the centre of telepharmacy, ensuring that prescriptions are well validated before delivery. The whole idea of telemedicine is to provide a more responsible way of giving medications to patients," he said.

The pharmacist warned that medications could be lifesaving or fatal, emphasising pharmacists' role in ensuring safe drug use.

He said Drugnet employed an Al-powered app, which enabled patients to talk to pharmacists, chat, and place orders for chronic medications.
He noted that Al allows real-time patient engagement and medical data retrieval.

To prevent online drug abuse and misuse, Otuo-Serebour said telepharmacy backend operations were managed by certified pharmacists who understood prescriptions.

The West Africa Pharma Healthcare Show is an international medical and pharmaceutical industry trade fair in Ghana.

This year's edition brought together manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers, and distributors in the medical, diagnostic, and pharmaceutical sectors, alongside hospitals and key decision-makers from West Africa.