Pharmacy Council organises pre-licensing orientation for chemical sellers in Wa

The Ghana Pharmacy Council in exercising its regulatory mandate has organized a pre-licensing orientation for newly registered over-the- counter medicine sellers at Wa in the Upper West Region.
The training programme helped to equip the 114 prospective chemical sellers with the needed skills for the sale and supply by retail of over- the- counter medicines.
The Head of Education, Training and Research Department of the Pharmacy Council Mrs. Cynthia Yeboah Mintah advised over- the counter medicine sellers to stay within their jurisdiction and avoid practices that are in contravention with the law.
To this end, they should refrain from invasive procedures such as the giving of injections and infusions in their facilities as well as the sale of drugs outside the approved class.
The Ghana Pharmacy Council is a statutory regulatory body established by Parliament through Act 489 in 1994.
The major function of the Council is to secure in the public interest the highest standards in the practice of pharmacy.
The work of the Council is underlined by the six committees constituted under its dominion.
The committees include Disciplinary, Registration and Education.
The pre-licensing orientation in the Upper West Region comes a year after the lifting of the ban on registration of new Over-the-Counter Medicine Sellers also known as Licensed Chemical Sellers. The training attracted 114 prospective chemical sellers across the region.
They were taken through topics such as the mandate of the Ghana Pharmacy Council, standards for service provision and record keeping among others.
Over-the-counter or nonprescription medicines are products that consumers can purchase in pharmacies, supermarkets and other retail stores as well as online without a prescription.
OTC medicines are deemed safe and effective treatments by many health authorities around the world.
These medicines treat primary health conditions and symptoms such as common cold, minor pain, allergies and other conditions that afflict large segments of the population.
Over-the-counter medicines play a significant role in expanded access to safe and effective treatments in developing regions of the world.
Many people in these regions do not have access to health services and rely heavily on self-care and self-medication.
The Acting Upper West Regional Manager of the Pharmacy Council Latif Agyei-Wiredu lauded the indispensable role of chemical sellers in the health care delivery system.
He was full of praise over the prevailing cordial relationship between the Council and other stakeholders in the health sector.
Some of the participants who shared their experience with Radio Ghana, said the decision to venture into chemical selling is informed by the desire and motivation to help save lives.