KIA, Tema Harbour only authorised entry points for medicines — Minister
A part from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and Tema Harbour, no other points of entry are authorised for bringing medicines and serums into Ghana, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has stated.
The directive, he explained, formed part of intensified government efforts to curb the illegal entry of pharmaceuticals into the country.
The move was also to protect public health, maintain regulatory integrity and tighten border control.
Induction
He made the comments in Accra at the induction ceremony of 641 newly qualified pharmacists by the Pharmacy Council, Ghana.
The induction ceremony brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, health directors, industry regulators, faculty, and families of the graduates.
It was on the theme: “The Future is Now: Young Pharmacists at the Frontline of Preventing Opioid Misuse in Ghana”.
Warning
Mr Akandoh warned that any pharmaceutical products brought into the country through unapproved routes would be confiscated, whether registered or not, in accordance with the law.
“It is a plain instruction to seize any product. Once it is entering the wrong place, it must be confiscated, let us be guided,” Mr Akandoh stated.
Unethical, opioids
Mr Akandoh highlighted the devastating impact of opioid misuse, calling it a national emergency and urging collective action to address it.
“We all know someone, a friend or relative, battling opioid misuse.
One person cannot fight and win this battle alone.
We must all come together, especially as stakeholders, to fight this,” he said.
Opioids are a class of drugs that includes prescription painkillers such as codeine, morphine, tramadol, and fentanyl, as well as illegal substances such as heroin.
They are primarily used for managing moderate to severe pain, but they can also produce feelings of euphoria, making them highly addictive when misused.
The minister also decried the unethical practice of registering pharmaceutical businesses that have no identifiable premises, describing it as dangerous and unprofessional.
“To the greatest degree of respect, let us desist from that. This is not ethical,” he stressed.
Financial clearance
On the issue of financial clearance for pharmacy house officers, the minister gave an assurance that the government had made progress in addressing outstanding allowances and was engaging the Ministry of Finance to secure clearance for the current batch.
“By the grace of God, we have succeeded in getting the clearance, and very soon, we will be able to pay it,” he noted.
Mr Akandoh called on the newly qualified pharmacists to uphold the highest standards of ethical practice, integrity, and public service as they stepped into frontline roles in healthcare delivery.
The minister explained that pharmacists were at the heart of Ghana’s healthcare system and consequently, should see their new roles as a lifelong commitment to serving humanity.
He also urged the graduates not to limit themselves to the clinical side of pharmacy but to explore opportunities in manufacturing, research and pharmaceutical entrepreneurship.
Mr Akandoh also described the role of pharmacists as vital to the country’s health system, especially in light of rising public health concerns such as opioid abuse and lifestyle-related diseases.
“Pharmacists are not simply inspectors of medicine.
They are frontline providers, educators, patient advocates and guardians of public health,” he stated.
Integrity, purpose
The Chairperson of the Pharmacy Council Governing Board, Joseph Yieleh Chireh, also advised the inductees to approach their professional journey with integrity and purpose.
“The soul of this profession lies in some of the people who have held the highest standards of what it takes to have integrity in public service,” he stated.
Mr Chireh described the induction as a significant moment in national development, stating that pharmacists must lead the charge in protecting public health while staying rooted in compassion and professionalism.
Professional charge
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Pharm. Dr Samuel Kow Donkoh, charged the new pharmacists to embrace ethical professionalism, advising them against lending their professional licences to institutions they were not physically present at.
“This practice is illegal and unethical. Your licence can be suspended or revoked; let us uphold the integrity of the profession,” Pharm. Dr Donkoh stressed.
