Pharmacists must be lifelong learners for relevance – Frank Owiredu-Yeboa

The Head of Account Maintenance Origination and Servicing, Tech, and Operations at Stanbic Bank, Frank Owiredu-Yeboa has called on pharmacists in the country to be adaptive and exhibit continuous learning to maintain relevance in a world that is constantly changing.

Mr. Owiredu-Yeboa spoke at the maiden edition of the ‘White Coat Ceremony’ organized by the School of Pharmacy of the University of Ghana on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

Speaking on the theme ‘Retooling the Pharmacist for Practice in the Digital Age’, Mr. Owiredu-Yeboa said “Lifelong learning is paramount. The environment is changing so fast that we as professionals must keep up-to-date with the changes happening around us. Let us use the opportunities available to us to improve ourselves.

As pharmacists, our training makes us natural when it comes to effective questioning, active listening, teamwork, and I dare say memorizing. It is no mistake that our lecturers have kept posology in the curricula. Learning will also include opening your mind to all possibilities.”

Frank Owiredu-Yeboa also applauded efforts to streamline collaborations between the pharmaceutical industry and other health professions through the National Electronic Pharmacy Project. According to him, the implementation of the project will be critical to the effective running of Ghana’s health sector.

He said, “Data in this era is king and the insights that can be derived from this data can help society and the profession in designing policies that will improve the outcomes that we seek to obtain in helping our patients or clients. With this also comes collaboration within the profession and with other health colleagues.”

“I was happy to witness the launch of the National Electronic Pharmacy Project. An audacious project, but very important, that the Pharmacy Council, in partnership with other health stakeholders, has created to ensure easy and safe access to medicines across the country. It is my prayer that they speed up the implementation to make it accessible to the citizenry. I am also hopeful that we’ll adopt it as pharmacists while offering constructive feedback to make it even better,” he added.

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for students in medical, dental, pharmacy, and other health training schools that marks the student's transition from the study of preclinical sciences to clinical health sciences.

The event was Chaired by the Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo with the Member of Parliament (MP) of the Ayawaso West Wuogon, Hon. Lydia Alhassan, as a Special Guest.