The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has urged the government to increase local pharmaceutical manufacturing to meet at least 70% of the country’s medicine needs, warning that Ghana’s dependence on imported medicines is becoming a national security concern.
The appeal was made during a commemorative event at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi to mark the Society’s 90th anniversary.
PSGH President, Pharm. Paul Owusu Donkor, said access to medicines should now be treated as a national security priority.
“Health is wealth, we have said many times. Now, pharmaceutical care needs are also a national security issue,” he said.
He noted that Ghana currently produces only about 30% of its pharmaceutical needs and called for sustained investment to raise the figure.
“We want to see a Ghana that does 70% of its pharmaceutical care needs,” he said.
Warning of the risks of relying on foreign supply chains, he added: “If we continue to rely on global supply chain systems for our medicines, then we are compromising on our national security issues.”
Pharm. Donkor said achieving the target would require investment in infrastructure, technology, land, capital and skilled personnel, positioning Ghana as a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub for West Africa.
Reflecting on the Society’s 90-year journey, he praised pharmacists for improving access to medicines while maintaining high standards.
“In 90 years, pharmacists have ensured that medicines are not only affordable and available, they are accessible as well,” he said.
He added: “At no point will pharmacists compromise on the safety and efficacy of the medicines that we dispense and deliver to Ghanaians.”
The Society also raised concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), linking it to the misuse of medicines and the spread of counterfeit drugs.
It called on regulators to intensify enforcement against falsified medicines, with Pharm. Donkor warning, “If a medicine is not in the hands of a pharmacist but falls into the hands of quacks, then we would lose the fight against antimicrobial resistance.”
