Bolgatanga, July 6, GNA - The Ghana Pharmacy Council is embarking on a pilot programme in the three northern regions, known as the District Pharmacy Programme, to ensure that there is equitable distribution of pharmaceutical services.

It is a strategy adopted by the Council to enhance people's access to medicines and employ regulation as a development tool to improve geographical access to pharmaceutical services in the country, especially in deprived areas by adopting multi-pronged strategies, and taking into consideration trends world wide and possible options within the socio-cultural settings.

Mr. Joseph Nyoagbe, Registrar of the Pharmacy Council said this in Bolgatanga, during the launch of the drug safety campaign of the Ghana Pharmaceutical Students Association, which was on the theme, "Irrational Drug Use and Poor Lifestyle, a Barrier to National Development". Mr. Nyoagbe said the main objective of the programme was to ensure the availability of quality pharmaceutical services and also curb the peddling of medicines across the country, especially in rural communities.

He said the Council had been concerned about the way some miscreants sold all sort of medicines on the streets, markets, bus stops and other places, which could pose a great threat to the general well being of the populace, as some took the opportunity to deceive innocent people by selling either expired or counterfeit medicines. He said wide spread education would be carried out in the three beneficiary regions to ensure that the people understood and appreciated the importance of rational use of medicines, "Medicines are a special commodity which when used appropriately can save lives and improve health and when used inappropriately can be harmful and fatal," he added.

Dr. James Akpablie, Deputy Regional Director of Health Services, explained that irrational use of drugs meant consumers received drugs inappropriately in relation to their clinical needs, in doses that did not meet their individual requirement, for an inappropriate period of time and at an undue cost to them and their families.

He noted that irrational use of drugs among prescribers and dispensers decreased public confidence in the health care system a nd the demand for health services by people who need the services.

It might also lead to huge waste of scarce resources, which could have been made available in other areas where they may be needed most. "Irrational drug use by prescribers and consumers is a very complex problem and calls for the implementation of many different interventions at the same time," he said.

He stated that the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ghana Health Services (GHS) had put in place certain structures to ensure safe, efficacious and cost effective use of medicines, and had recommended that rational use of drugs be incorporated in the curricula of all institutions involved in the training of health workers.

Mr. Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister who launched the campaign appealed to the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) to check the selling of drugs alongside other goods like provisions, with no regards to the appropriate storage conditions, which is being done in the rural communities.

He reiterated the low numbers of health professionals in the region and assured the trainee pharmacists that if they accepted posting to the region they would have good accommodation and means of transport to make life enjoyable for them.

Mr. Woyongo commended the students for organizing such a programme and said they would be given the needed support to reach out to many people in the region.

Mr. Bright Djan Danquah, President of the Pharmaceutical Students Association (GPSA) urged his colleagues to devote themselves completely to the educational campaign, so that it would have a positive impact on the people.

He noted that the rural people suffered a lot of avoidable health problems due to ignorance and unavailable health care needs, and so they should be given special attention to make them aware of what is good for them.

The Drug Safety Campaign is an annual event organized by the Ghana Pharmaceutical Students Association and the Ghana Herbal Medical Students Association to promote good health and rational use of drugs by way of educating and sensitizing the people of the communities chosen. The students would spend one week to visit and educate people in churches, mosques, schools, market places, organized groups and some communities in the region.