Urgent Call to Action: Ghana’s Healthcare Needs More Pharmacists, Says Registered Pharmacist

D R Agbenyo (PharmD; MPH), a registered pharmacist and concerned Ghanaian citizen, has issued a heartfelt appeal to the President of Ghana, urging the immediate recruitment of more pharmacists into the nation’s public healthcare system. In a letter to the President, Agbenyo highlighted the critical yet often overlooked role of pharmacists and the severe impact their underrepresentation is having on patient safety and quality of care.

Agbenyo emphasized that pharmacists are an “critical pillar of the healthcare delivery system.” Their responsibilities extend far beyond dispensing medication; they ensure the rational use of medicines, promote patient safety, manage medicine supply chains, provide vital drug information, and play a crucial role in clinical care teams.

The letter points out a worrying disparity: while the number of qualified pharmacists in Ghana is growing, many healthcare facilities across the country are either severely understaffed or entirely lacking pharmacists. This shortage, Agbenyo argues, “poses a serious threat to patient and medication safety, quality care, and efficient service delivery.”

The last significant recruitment of pharmacists was in 2020, when 300 professionals were employed. However, Agbenyo states that this number is “highly inadequate.” In the past five years alone, over 1,000 pharmacists have met all requirements and been inducted into the profession. Despite this influx of trained professionals, many remain unemployed or underutilized, while the healthcare system continues to grapple with preventable medicine-related challenges. “The situation is not due to a lack of trained professionals but a lack of recruitment,” Agbenyo asserted.

Agbenyo stressed that the pharmacy fraternity is young, vibrant, and ready to serve the country. By failing to fully utilize this available human resource, Ghana’s health system is operating “below its potential.”

The pharmacist concluded by urging the President to prioritize the employment of pharmacists, noting that it would not only strengthen public health infrastructure but also align with the vision of providing quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare to all Ghanaians, as well as supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. “Investing in pharmacists is investing in human lives; medicines well managed; and systems that work efficiently for the benefit of all Ghanaians,” the letter stated, reiterating that “Ghana needs us now more than ever.”

Read the letter below:

Your Excellency,

I write to you not only as a pharmacist but as a concerned citizen who has the health and well-being of our nation at heart. With deep respect for your commitment to improving healthcare in Ghana, I am compelled to bring to your attention a matter of urgent importance: the need to recruit more pharmacists into the public healthcare system.

Pharmacists are a critical pillar of the healthcare delivery system. We ensure the rational use of medicines, promote patient safety, manage medicine supply chains, provide drug information, and play critical role in clinical care teams.

Yet, in many healthcare facilities across the country, pharmacists are either available and overstretched or absent. This gap poses a serious threat to patient and medication safety, quality care, and efficient service delivery.

Your excellency, the last time pharmacists were actively recruited was in 2020. The recruitment of 300 pharmacists, although helpful, is highly inadequate.

In the last five years, more than a 1000 pharmacists have fulfilled all requirements and have been inducted into the pharmacy fraternity as registered pharmacists. Despite the increasing number of qualified pharmacists, many remain unemployed or underutilized, while healthcare facilities remain understaffed and continue to experience preventable medicine-related challenges. The situation is not due to a lack of trained professionals but a lack of recruitment.

Like our country, the pharmacy fraternity has a young population; vibrant, innovative and ready to serve the country. As a collective, we are not making full use of the human resource available to us, making our health system operate below its potential.

Your Excellency, the recruitment of more pharmacists will not only strengthen our public health infrastructure but also align with your vision of providing quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to all Ghanaians, as well as the interlinked Sustainable Development Goals. Investing in pharmacists is investing in human lives; medicines well managed; and systems that work efficiently for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

I humbly urge you to prioritize the employment of pharmacists. Ghana needs us now more than ever.
Respectfully,

D R Agbenyo (PharmD; MPH)
Registered Pharmacist