By Zobia Zulfqar 
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has called on the government to increase local pharmaceutical manufacturing to meet at least 70% of the country’s medicine needs, warning that Ghana’s heavy dependence on imported medicines poses a growing threat to national health security.
The appeal was made during a commemorative event at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi as part of activities marking the Society’s 90th anniversary.
Speaking at the celebration, PSGH President Pharm. Paul Owusu Donkor said access to medicines should no longer be viewed solely as a healthcare issue but as a matter of national security.
“Health is wealth, we have said many times. Now, pharmaceutical care needs are also a national security issue,” he stated.
According to him, Ghana currently manufactures only about 30% of the medicines it consumes, leaving the country vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains. He urged the government to adopt deliberate policies aimed at increasing local production to at least 70%.
“We want to see a Ghana that does 70% of its pharmaceutical care needs,” he said.
Pharm. Donkor warned that continued reliance on imported medicines exposes the country to external shocks, especially during global emergencies when supply chains are disrupted.
“If we continue to rely on global supply chain systems for our medicines, then we are compromising on our national security issues,” he cautioned.
He explained that achieving the 70% target would require significant investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure, access to capital, land, modern technology, research, and the development of skilled professionals. He added that expanding local production could position Ghana as a leading pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in West Africa while creating jobs and boosting exports.
Reflecting on the Society’s 90-year history, Pharm. Donkor praised Ghanaian pharmacists for their role in ensuring medicines remain available, affordable, and accessible across the country.
“In 90 years, pharmacists have ensured that medicines are not only affordable and available, they are accessible as well,” he said.
He assured Ghanaians that patient safety would remain the profession’s highest priority and stressed that pharmacists would never compromise the quality, safety, or effectiveness of medicines dispensed to the public.
The PSGH President also echoed remarks made by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who served as the Special Guest of Honour at the anniversary celebration. According to Pharm. Donkor, the Asantehene encouraged pharmacists to maintain high professional standards while expanding access to pharmaceutical services nationwide.
He noted that Otumfuo, who has been a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana since 2012, also called for stronger government support to help develop the pharmaceutical sector.
Beyond manufacturing, the Society expressed concern about the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which it said is being fueled by the misuse of medicines and the circulation of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical products.
Pharm. Donkor observed that rural and peri-urban communities remain particularly vulnerable because limited access to healthcare often creates opportunities for illegal medicine vendors to operate.
“Sometimes the underserved peri-urban and rural areas become a void that is filled by medicine peddlers, counterfeit, fake, spurious and substandard medicines,” he said.
He urged regulators, including the Pharmacy Council and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), to strengthen enforcement against the manufacture, importation, and distribution of falsified medicines.
“The regulator must continue to crack the whip on persons that bring these falsified medicines into our supply chain system. That is how we can uproot the menace of antimicrobial resistance,” he stated.
According to the PSGH President, pharmacists play a critical role in antimicrobial stewardship, but addressing antimicrobial resistance will require coordinated action involving regulators, healthcare institutions, government, and industry stakeholders.
“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,” he warned.
The Society also appealed to the government, development partners, and the private sector to increase investment in pharmaceutical infrastructure, workforce development, research, and local manufacturing to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system and improve economic resilience.
As part of the 90th anniversary celebrations, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana honoured several distinguished members for their contributions to the profession. Among the recipients was the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Rita Akosua Dickson.