The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has raised concerns about the small number of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians recruited in the Ministry of Health’s latest employment exercise.
The association said the number of people employed is far too low to solve the serious shortage of pharmaceutical staff in public health facilities across the country.
In a statement released on Monday, May 11, 2026, GHOSPA acknowledged the Ministry’s effort to reduce unemployment among pharmacy professionals.
However, it stressed that the recruitment figures announced do not match the growing needs of government hospitals and clinics.
According to the association, more than 4,000 pharmacists and over 6,000 pharmacy technicians completed verification through the Ministry’s recruitment portal and confirmed their willingness to accept postings in the public sector.
Despite this, the Ministry reportedly recruited only 100 pharmacists and 150 pharmacy technicians.
GHOSPA described the outcome as worrying, explaining that less than three percent of qualified and verified applicants secured employment.
“An intake of this scale cannot, by any measure, be considered responsive to the depth of the staffing crisis confronting our facilities,” the association said.
The association also questioned the fairness and transparency of the recruitment process.
It pointed to unclear regional vacancy allocations, technical problems with the application portal, and limited engagement with important stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector.
GHOSPA stated that many applicants struggled with poor network connections and repeated system failures while trying to complete their applications.
According to the association, these technical issues may have prevented some qualified professionals from successfully applying.
The group further warned that the shortage of pharmacy staff continues to affect patient care in many hospitals and dispensaries.
It explained that several health facilities still operate with too few pharmaceutical personnel, placing heavy pressure on the pharmacists currently working there.
GHOSPA added that the staffing crisis has led to burnout among pharmacists.
In some facilities, pharmacists reportedly cannot take annual leave or pursue further studies because they are the only professionals handling pharmaceutical services.
Although the association praised Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh for starting the recruitment exercise, it said the process should only be treated as the beginning of a greater effort.
GHOSPA has therefore urged the Ministry of Health to recruit more pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the next phase.
It also called on the Ministry to publish detailed employment figures for every stage of the exercise and involve organisations such as the Pharmacy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana in future recruitment planning.
The association stressed that increasing the number of pharmaceutical professionals remains essential for improving medication safety, patient care, and the overall standard of healthcare delivery in Ghana.
