Accra: The Chamber of Pharmacy Practice Association (CPPA) has issued a statement urging the government to address the critical shortage of pharmacists in Ghana. Dr. Emmanuel Kwaku Ireland, CPPA Chairman, highlighted that the failure to recruit public sector pharmacists over the past five years has severely impacted primary healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
According to Ghana News Agency, the CPPA revealed that despite having over 4,300 early-career pharmacists available for service, only 1,300 are currently employed across more than 10,000 health facilities in the country. This significant gap in employment has hindered medication safety, chronic-disease care, and patient outcomes.
The Association expressed concern about the increasing reliance on informal and unregulated drug outlets due to the pharmacist shortage, which exacerbates health risks. They emphasized that each unfilled position represents a missed opportunity to reinforce primary care, prevent medication errors, and combat antimicrobial resistance.
The CPPA called for the immediate recruitment of at least 500 pharmacists to improve health outcomes and alleviate the pressure on overstretched practitioners. The Association argued that such a move would strengthen universal health coverage, support national pharmaceutical services, and build resilience against the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
Furthermore, the CPPA stressed the importance of equitable deployment of pharmacists to rural and peri-urban communities that are most in need, ensuring that healthcare resources reach the areas where they are most crucial.
