Improving access to health through specialist pharmacist training – 10 years and beyond

The Ghana College of Pharmacists was established by the Specialist Health Training and Plant Medicine Research Act of 2011 (Act 833). The first Council of the College, however, was not inaugurated until 12 th Dec 2012. That Council immediately went to work to lay the foundations of what the College is today. The College has faculties which provide specialist training to meet the pharmaceutical training needs of the nation. In order to support the training of specialist pharmacists, experts in various areas of the practice of pharmacy were identified to provide the initial human resource for training.

 

These leaders in pharmaceutical service and industry became the foundation fellows. Since then, other leaders, who have contributed in various ways, including training, precepting candidates, contributing to policy and contributing to the College generally, have been identified and the number of fellows how stands at 162 Since its establishment, the College has taken significant steps towards executing its mandate. Specialists have been produced by all the faculties of the College. These specialists have provided skilled pharmaceutical service through interactions with patients and consumers, but also through the development of health and medicine policies and the production of quality medicines for the use of all.

 

The GCP Journal supports the dissemination of relevant information on health and medicines. The College also educates pharmacists, healthcare providers and the general public on specific health subjects during world health day celebrations. Pharmacists are also provided with new skills to better contribute to public health as well as the health of individual community members. Some of these skills include asthma management and vaccination. All these have contributed to the improvement of access to health through specialist training. Over the last ten years of existence, the College has collaborated with partners both nationally and internationally. These collaborations have allowed for the expansion of the services provided by the College.

 

They have also led to pharmacists and healthcare professionals from Ghana and beyond benefiting from the College without enrolling in the traditional programmes. These developments have been built up consistently over the past ten years of existence. The College has systematically increased in prominence and relevance. And, the contribution of the College to improved access to health has grown continuously.

 

It is expected that this growth will continue: new programmes will be introduced, more pharmacists and healthcare professionals will be trained, more interventions will be made in policy and practice, cutting edge technology will be better utilized and patient outcomes will be improved. Improving access to healthcare through specialist pharmacist training looks promising beyond ten years of existence of the Ghana College of Pharmacists.