Mobile Phamacists -who is reponsible?

A large transparent polythene arranged inside it different kinds of medicines make up the mobile pharmacist and the strength to shout and convince unsuspecting consumers make them professionals.

I know that pharmacists undergo training for four years before they come out as professionals.But this is not the same as I see on our streets especially at lorry stations or bus stops. These supposed pharmacists go about with their wares in transparent polythene bags and move from one vehicle to the other convincing unsuspecting consumers to buy their wares.

These half baked pharmacist go about giving wrong dosage to their buyers and mention as many as five or more ailments that a particular drug can cure. With my little education I know that some medicines are not supposed to be exposed to light yet one finds these mobile pharmacists holding these medicines on the ever scorching sun of Ghana.

A lot of people are at risk when they buy these drugs from all these mobile pharmacists without any dosage. Drugs which are most of the time sold are ampicillin, and some other pills that can be easily taken. This also leads to drug abuse and other complications for the unsuspecting comsumers..

Moreover, there are people who import substandard drugs into the country which find their way into the market and sold to the public unknowingly. Each time I see these mobile pharmacists, the first question I ask is, are there no checks mounted on these pharmacists to find out the kind of drugs they sell, their qualification and licence and the hazard they pose while roaming with the drugs they sell.

I know I will need a gargantua mouth to answer all these questions. But who has that gargantua mouth to give answers to my questions? We are in country where every thing is taken for granted and nothing is done to corrrect the ills of our system. Any body who tries to unveil the mishaps is tagged "too-knowing" what is the meaning of this?

The daily abuse of drugs is as a result of the numerous mobile pharmacists who go about in the name of finding daily bread and end up selling expired drugs or substandard drugs to the public. Some times in the drug stores pharmacists knowingly or unknowingly sell expired drugs or substandard drugs to consumers, how much less the mobile pharmacists?.

Again, where these people get these drugs to buy on a large scale as retailers without any question on their level of pharmaceutical qualification and profession beats my imagination.Well we are in a country where any body does any thing for money without any conciense. Let us becareful with how issues relating to human health are treated.

The funny aspect of the issue is most of these mobile pharmacists are not graduates of pharmacy or do not even know about the side effects of tthe drugs they sell. Once they can convince unsuspecting consumers that is all..

Besides, our borders are such that one can enter in and out without being noticed and substandard drugs move through our borders likewise there by giving the opportunity to any body to have access to drugs and become mobile pharmacists.

This issue can be solved when stakeholders responsible for human health and the pharmaceutical industry in Ghana rise up to the task and move into action to get rid of these unprofessional pharmacists. ALEX BLEGE GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM P.O BOX 667 OSU-ACCRA.