Accra, (Greater Accra) 17 Sept.,

Pharmacists were today asked to be abreast with regulations governing the profession to avoid unnecessary confrontation with the law and subsequent punishment. Mrs Louisa Adusa-Amankwa, a legal adviser to the Pharmacy Council said the regulations governing the profession will soon be passed by Parliament and offenders will be dealt with accordingly. Mrs Adusa-Amankwa was addressing a day's workshop for Pharmacists and pharmacy proprietors on the theme " Current laws on Pharmacy Practice and Drugs", in Accra. The workshop was organised by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana to discuss matters affecting the profession in the wake of the global changes in the provision of pharmaceutical services. Mrs Adusa-Amankwa named some of the professional misconducts that call for punishment as allowing unqualified persons to dispense certain classes of drugs, drunkenness on duty and dispensing unwholesome drugs which attract various penalties. She said the penalties include the withdrawal or suspension of licence or a fine not exceeding 10 million cedis. Professor Kwame Sarpong of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Kwame Nkrumah University of science and Technology, Kumasi, spoke on ''Pharmacy Ethics'' and deplored the rampant and unprofessional manner pharmaceutical products including herbal preparations, are advertised in the Ghanaian media and called for an immediate stop to it. Mr K. A. Ohene-Manu, Chairman of the Pharmacy Council said they has several other ways of punishing proprietors who are not pharmacists but infringe on the Council's requirements. In a welcoming address, Mr David Anim-Addo, President of the Society said current changes in the pharmaceutical trade call for a better educated and a more enlightened pharmacy proprietor who will not think of his financial gains only.