Pharmacists urged to be on alert over Ebola disease

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has called on its members to be on the alert and refer suspected cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to the nearest hospital for a review.

A statement signed by James Ohemeng Kyei, President of PSGH and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, urged members to sensitise their clients on the symptoms of the EVD and advise them on preventive measures.

It said many members of the public use community pharmacies as their first point of call when they have simple ailments of common occurrence like malaria, fever and headache.

The statement reminded pharmacists that the Ebola disease is a severe acute viral illness often characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and in some cases both internal and external bleeding.

It said the incubation period is between 2 to 21 days and laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes.

It said though new medication and therapies are being evaluated, there is no specific medicine for the treatment of the disease and there is also no human vaccine to prevent the infections.

“The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana is, therefore, appealing to pharmacists in community practice throughout the country to be extra careful when dealing with clients who seek first aid treatment for malaria fever, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and other simple ailments of common occurrence that may be managed under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857) in order not to miss possible early symptoms of the disease,” it said.

The PSGH also appealed to pharmacists who are involved in research and development in various pharmaceutical institutions to intensify their research efforts in order to find quality, efficacious and safe vaccines that could prevent or cure the disease.