As part of ensuring effective health delivery service for the people and close the patient-to-pharmacist ratio countrywide, government has employed 113 pharmacists to serve in the public health institutions, Dr. Alfred Tia Sugri, Deputy Minister for Health has said.

He said the Ghana Health Service (GHS) alone has taken up 105 of the pharmacists who are currently undergoing orientation.

Dr. Sugri disclosed this during the induction ceremony for 134 newly registered pharmacists at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Building in Accra yesterday.

He stated that government is looking forward to employing a lot more to ensure that the equity gap for pharmacists across the country is closed.

He said it is his trust that the current impasse of government and Hospital Pharmacists as well as the Single Spine Salary issues will be resolved quickly to ensure sanity in the labour front.

Dr. Sugri said the problem of health inequality is still a challenge to the Ministry of Health, adding that, as it seeks to improve the health status of all people living in Ghana, through the development and promotion of proactive policies, large numbers of communities still remain outside the services.

According to the deputy minister, inequalities continue to exist between and within regions and districts and particularly with pharmaceutical services, the thin spread outside the regional and some district capitals remain a source of worry.

“In such communities the problems posed by drug peddlers continue to undermine their health and productivity”, he noted, hoping that some of the pharmacists will take the bold decision to work in the deprived areas and to bring their expertise to bear on the unfortunate people.

He expressed worry that the menace of drug counterfeiting has become a serious public problem, saying the problem of fake drugs is very important in healthcare delivery because of the associated.

For Dr. Sugri, the problems in this area include the lack of enforcement of civil laws, inadequate legislation and professional guidance for unsuspecting clients.

He, therefore, urged that pharmacists, both in the public and private sectors will work closely with established institutions to ensure that medicines are procured from authorized sources and in accordance with relevant laws and laid down procedures.

He noted that it the duty of pharmacists to protect the public interest in this regard, reminding them to be guided by the spirit of honesty, hard work and dedication.

Mr. Joseph K.N Nyoagbe, registrar of the Pharmacy Council in his welcome address commended government and significantly the Minister for Health, Mad. Sherry Ayitey for the setting up a sub-committee of cabinet to resolve the matter confronting pharmacists within the health service.

He stated that there are 2327 pharmacists on its register as at 30th May 2013, “Out of this number, 1652 pharmacists are in Ghana and are making their services available to the nation. It is interesting to note that 675 pharmacists are in the diaspora. This brings the ratio to one pharmacist to 14,528 persons,” he said.

Prof. Mahama Duwiejua, Executive Secretary, National Council for Tertiary Education, for his part called on the registered pharmacists to have a vision in life and persevere with prayer and humility to achieve it.

Sarpong Kwaku Anane was presented the overall best candidate in the 2012 Ghana Pharmacy Professional Quality Examinations.

He again adjudged the Pharmacy Practice Award winner in the 2012 Ghana Pharmacy Professional Quality Examinations, whiles the Pharmacy Law and Ethics Awards went to Avorgbedor Yaw John.