The acting Registrar of the Pharmacy Council, Dr Daniel Amaning Danquah, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic after a meeting in Ho with 50 pharmacy operators from the Volta and Oti regions.

The meeting was part of his familiarisation visit to the area as well as efforts to introduce them to electronic-pharmacy procedures to enhance their services to the public.

Dr Danquah said the nationwide exercise would be carried out with the support of the Ghana Police Service and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

“The task force assigned that duty has just come out with the strategy for the exercise and it is poised for the swoops,” the acting Registrar of the Pharmacy Council said.

Dr Danquah explained that the exercise was not only meant to stop the illegal practice by peddlers, but also to prosecute the illegal practitioners, stressing “the safety of the public is our main concern.”

Regulated area

The acting Registrar of the Pharmacy Council maintained that the exercise was also to ensure that licensed pharmacy proprietors and Off-the-Counter Medicine Sellers (OTCMS) operated within their stipulated scopes of practice.

Dr Danquah pointed out the pharmacy sector was a regulated area because its activities affected human lives.

For that matter, it could not be left in the hands of unlicensed individuals or companies.

According to the Pharmacy Council, there are over 5,000 pharmacy proprietors and 20,000 OTCMS in the country.

Dr Danquah said some of the pharmacy proprietors and OTCMS sometimes veered off their scopes of practice and sold the wrong medicines to clients.

“The task force will visit every region because we are acting on behalf of the entire nation,” he said.

The Volta Regional Manager of the Pharmacy Council, Dr Gabriel Essilfie-Essel, said the visit of the Ag. Registrar was timely and gratifying because it coincided with moves by the council to introduce digital innovations into the practice environment.

He urged the pharmacy proprietors to form an association to help them to articulate their concerns.

Background

The Pharmacy Council has been established by the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013, (Act 857) as a body corporate responsible for a number of things including ensuring that the education and training of pharmacists and any other pharmaceutical support staff are carried out at approved educational institutions for efficient pharmacy practice.

The council also sets standards for continuous professional development for practitioners and pharmaceutical support staff; register practitioners and ensures the equitable and accessible distribution of pharmaceutical premises.

The council also monitors and inspects pharmacy practices where pharmaceutical care is provided and exercises disciplinary powers over pharmacists and any other pharmaceutical support staff.

The Pharmacy Council also sets and ensures standards for pharmacy practice and professional conduct.

It is governed by a nine-member board with the mandate of securing in the public interest the highest standards in the practice of pharmacy in the country.