Challenge the status quo and make an impact – Graduates told

The 2026 graduating class of the University of Ghana’s Doctor of Pharmacy programme has been urged to challenge existing healthcare systems and make meaningful contributions to improve healthcare delivery.

The advice was given during the graduation ceremony, held at the University of Ghana’s Great Hall on Friday, November 13, 2026, where speakers emphasised the need for the graduates to contribute to the advancement of the healthcare system and uphold professional excellence.

Addressing the graduates, the congregation speaker, Pharm. William Delali Ofori, urged them to address challenges within the pharmacy profession by reporting falsified medicines, advocating better treatment of patients and asserting their value in healthcare delivery.

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“So I'm asking you all, go out there and be unreasonable. Challenge the status quo. First, be a clinician and not a shopkeeper. I don't think you spent six years learning pharmacokinetics to count tablets and give change. Walk onto that ward and ask the questions nobody else is asking. If there is no seat for a pharmacist on the ward, create one and make sure that nobody takes your value away. Get recognised. Second, don't wait for permission. Remember the call to action. Start the stewardship now, with or without any budget. Build simple systems, digital records for rural clinics.

"Report falsified products. Challenge treatment protocols. Challenge systems and make sure that every wrong comment is treated like a diagnosis. Third, build and don't just distribute. A nation that cannot make its own medicines has outsourced its health security. Some of you belong in labs, factories and boardrooms, not only behind the counter. So whether you practise in Korle-Bu or Kent in the UK, always bring something back: knowledge, partnership, investment or at least yourself. Think differently" he said.

Pharm Ofori further added that, “Today we are awarding the Doctor of Pharmacy, a degree that is largely clinical in focus. Even so, we are not fulfilling the roles we already have. Because to me, every health facility that dispenses medicines must have a pharmacist. That is not the situation. If it were, there would be no pharmacists out of jobs.”



The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, commended the School of Pharmacy for its achievements, including the recognition received by some of its members through various awards.

She urged the school to sustain its achievements and continue contributing to pharmaceutical education, research and healthcare delivery.

“I therefore commend the dean and faculty for their dedication to teaching, mentorship and academic development, the staff for their invaluable administrative and technical support, and the students for their hard work, teamwork and outstanding representation of the university.

“As we celebrate these successes, I encourage the school to sustain this culture of excellence, deepen its contribution to pharmaceutical education and research, and continue preparing graduates who will make meaningful contributions to healthcare delivery in Ghana, across Africa and beyond,” she remarked.



The valedictorian, Nathaniel Atuahene Opoku, expressed gratitude to the faculty members on behalf of his colleagues for their support throughout the six-year programme.

He also encouraged his fellow graduates to remain humble, disciplined, and committed to continuous learning as they begin their professional journeys.

“Though the six years are over, the fond memories will linger on. To our lecturers, preceptors, and administrators, you taught us not only the science but also how to carry ourselves as professionals. We promise to make you proud. To this, we say thank you.

“Rx26, we are no longer students; we are Doctors of Pharmacy. The ancient Greek word pharmakon, which means remedy and poison, reflects our profession as pharmacists. Our entire profession lives on that thin line between healing and harm. So let us be pharmacists who double-check, listen, explain, and care. Let us stay humble and keep learning because the science will keep changing even though the degree is now bagged,” he noted.



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