Pharmacy Council of Ghana- Pres. Of AMCAG
Story by Joseph Kobla Wemakor
The President, Greater Accra Regional Branch of the Association of Medicine Counter Assistants of Ghana (AMCAG) Mr. Abdul Issah has appealed to the Pharmacy Council of Ghana to as a matter of urgency consider renewal of expired licenses or certifications of Medicine Counter Assistants (MCAs) in the country.
According to him, most Medicine Counter Assistants (MCA’s) who received training to assist pharmaceutical teams to perform various tasks, including dispensing of drugs, sale of over-the -counter medicines have exhausted the validity period of their licenses awaiting renewal but have been denied access by the authorities even though still serving under post which he alleges is against the law of the nation. “These issues of regulation must be met by the authorities if MCAs can feel free in a peaceful atmosphere and deliver their services for betterment of our beloved country Ghana. “We are not going to be gradual in our request, but vociferous as usual” said the AMCAG President.
A situation he described as unfortunate, blaming the Pharmacy Council for the cause of the delay in the renewal process of licenses making it difficult for members to operate in freedom.
He made this call at the launch of the Greater Accra Regional Branch of the Association of the Medicine Counter Assistants in Accra last Saturday. Abdul Issah also raised concern about the denial of MCAs the appropriate remuneration and conditions of service which according to law, all workers in Ghana deserve to be a beneficiary. “I don’t understand why every worker required by law goes to work at 8am and close at 5pm but MCAs are allowed to go to work in the morning by 8 am only to be seen coming home late at 10pm in the evening even with meager salary” he bemoaned.
He said the Medical Counter Assistants(MCAs) deserved to be treated fairly just like other workers and called on Pharmacists to rise up to task and be responsible for the upkeep of the MCAs.“I find it difficult to understand why Pharmacists pretends that MCAs do not exist at all; even some people see them as “white ghosts”. “Look there are thousands of MCAs out there therefore it is difficult for anyone to pretend that they do not exist at all” he stressed.
He charged the Pharmacy Council of Ghana to also consider organizing refresher courses for their members, adding it will help build their capacity and help improve upon quality healthcare service delivery in the country.
Describing the six months training given to the MCAs as “woefully inadequate” he appealed to the Pharmacy Council to help increase the 6 months duration course to one year period with the view of upgrading their certification to diploma instead of the normal certificates awarded to them after the completion of the six months course.
Meanwhile, The Chief Executive Officer of the Avenue Chemist Limited, Mr. Eric Otoo has advised the MCAs to be hardworking, committed and sincere to their masters as well as seek the welfare of their patients in order to be good employees to the trade.
He equally cautioned them to desist from stealing however, exhibit qualities of good servants and also act as professionals in performance of their duties adding, that by so doing they will get recognized within the society just like other health workers.
The Greater Regional Branch of the Association of Medicine Counter Assistants has been in existence since the past four years.
The launch was on the theme “the role of the medicine counter assistants in effective Pharmaceutical healthcare delivery.”
The MCAs are responsible for providing standard auxiliary services in pharmacy shops and other Pharmaceutical industries in the country.
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