Pharmacy Attendants In Ghana Are Quacks

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By: Freeman Kwade
Fake drugs can be injurious to health
Fake drugs can be injurious to health

A recent investigation carried out by e.TV Ghana?s Freeman Kwade has revealed that Ghana?s pharmacies and licensed chemical shops are seriously flooded with untrained pharmacy attendants or medicine counter assistance as they are commonly referred to.

While most of these attendants according to the investigation do not have formal training in medicine dispensary, the few who had did not also meet the required qualification stipulated in the licensing guidelines of the Pharmacy Council Act (Act 489) 1994.
This revelation has sparked fear among a section of the public and triggered a lot of safety debate considering the enormous portion of the country?s population that relies on these medicine dispensers for their primary healthcare.
For instance, our secret cameras captured a fifteen-year-old boy in a chemical shop at Madina in Accra, confidently selling drugs to unsuspecting customers in one of the many drug outlets we visited during this investigation.
Displaying utmost naivety at post, he attends to his clients guessing the medicines they request.
In the said secret recording, another Medicine Counter Assistant (name withheld) at a popular Chemist at Dansoman in Accra was heard telling this reporter ?I read the medical directions on the leaflet attached to the medicines to equip her knowledge in drug administration?.
She interestingly also confesses that some of her colleagues had to sometimes verbally coach their shop attendants on what drug to dispense to customers that reports with certain peculiar illness.
?Most often when we employ new attendant, some of us have to school them through some common illness customers complain about and which drug to give out?.
She also added that the ?schooling? and learning process most often only takes a week for one to get trained. ?Sometimes it takes only a week for a new employee to learn the trade if he or she is very intelligent?.
Another attendant (name withheld), a senior high graduate operates a well-attended Pharmacy Shop at Mamprobi. As this reporter interacted with her, she appeared clueless about the application of most of the medicines she sells.
She revealed upon further probe that her boss the owner of place run her through some few medicines upon employing her. ?My manager taught me how to prescribe drugs to the customer that walks in here on daily basis?.
?(So if) you come here and complain of stomach ache I know I must certainly give you ?Gee?? she added.
The investigations further took this reporter to Chorkor, a suburb of Accra where he met Frank Asomani, a manager at the Chorkor Pharmacy and he reveals that although his outfit sometimes employs trained attendants, ?They still take most of them through practical tutorials at the shop after they have been employed?.
With these open confessions from the very people many Ghanaians entrust their lives to, it appears there is looming danger ahead for the entire country to say the least.
According to the Pharmacy Act, pharmacies are mandated to supply and sell all classes of medicines while a chemical shop on the other hand is restricted to selling only over-the-counter drugs.
However, this investigation has also revealed that this law is openly flouted by industry players in the full glare of the regulatory body.
It was therefore not uncommon to find all sort of open advertisement for the services of these drug dispensers with no particular attention to any specific educational qualifications.
Another development that calls for urgent attention as authorities appears to be clueless.
With this blatant violation of the pharmacy act gaining roots across the country, it appears the lives of many individuals who rely on these untrained pharmacy attendants for their primary healthcare is highly endangered.
Are we therefore waiting for the untold to happen as a country, before somebody takes an action???And what is the Pharmacy Council doing to save the situation? Etv news will follow this issue and fetch answers.

Story by: Freeman Kwade

About the writer: The writer is senior journalist with?e.tv

?Ghana and has been investigating this disturbing phenomenon for weeks.?

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1 COMMENT

  1. hmmm its a serious phenomenon, am an MCA myself with three years and more experience Ive had the opportunity to work with people including Pharmacists and MCAs, and it appears most pharmacy attendant just dont have the passion for the work, even basic info on drug for patient is a problem and most dispense antibiotics without examining the patient nor based on prescription, the PSG has alot to do when it comes to pharmacy attendant service and also the public needs education on taking medications and not any medicine can be bought OTC, the health structure of Ghana needs to be redefined especially the retail Pharmaceutical sector.

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