Community pharmacists legally standardizes its practice

The Community Practice Pharmacists Association (CPPA) has launched its revised manual, which are guidelines that will help standardise the practice of the profession by all its members.

The launch was held at the Tomreik hotel earlier today, March 25, 2021, with the theme: "Upholding standards of practice: Ensuring public health safety and improving health outcomes"

According to the former Chairman of the CPPA, Dr Charles Allotey, the first part of the book “Guidelines for Community Pharmacy Practice” was launched in 2016 but it was not backed by law.

"The first part of the launch was about ourselves - let's do something to guide ourselves, and we trained people on it. But we realize that there was a need to have some legal backing, which we felt was impeding the use very well, people just wanted to use it.

"So the pharmacy council agreed that this should be something, so they had to come in, made a lot of inputs, a lot of addition to get it done. And today, this book is ready to be launched," he stated.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) in support of the launch, has stated that they will ensure pharmacists all over the country follow the guidelines, in order to promote public safety.

"Beyond making sure every community pharmacy has one, there should be a conscious effort to train pharmacists, so they are able to use them. What we are all good at is making laws, legislation and policies, but what we need to improve upon is the enforcement and implementation.

"The PSGH once again commend the leadership of the CCPA for continuing this, and a special mention and gratitude to the one who started it all, Dr Charles Allotey."

Also present at the lunch were Mr Albert Wiredu Arkoh, Deputy Registrar for Professional Development, the Pharmacy Council Director for Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr Mrs Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, and representatives from the Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers, Pharmacy Owners Association and the Pharmacy Technicians Association of Ghana.