Akufo-Addo Gives Pharmaceutical Coys Reprieve

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the government is putting in place measures that would ensure that local pharmaceutical industries have access to long-term low-interest rate capital from both local and international financial institutions. This, he noted, would help the pharmaceutical industries meet international standards in their production.

According to the President, his government was also committed to the plan to designate a zone within a suitable location to be developed into an industrial park exclusively for pharmaceutical industries, which would lead to the establishment of modern pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities that would be in a competitive position to meet current international good manufacturing practices.

These were contained in a speech read for him by his Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, at the 83^rd Annual General Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana in the Volta regional capital, Ho, under the theme “Building Capacity to Lead Change in Healthcare.” The meeting was attended by pharmacists and other health workers throughout the country.

President Nana Akufo Addo continued that the government would study the Ghana Pharmaceutical Sector Development Strategy document, and revisit the proposal to set up a National Bioequivalence Center, in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association of Ghana, and other stakeholders.

He urged the leadership of the Society to work closely with the National Development Planning Commission, ministries for Business Development and Trade and Industry to submit a firm implementation strategy and roadmap to his office.

He assured them that the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry would actively promote Ghana's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and its products within the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) region, and advocate for the removal of all trade barriers intra-regionally, as far as pharmaceutical products are concerned.

According to him, when this was done, it would attract many research-based pharmaceutical companies around the world wishing to establish their plants in Africa. These companies, he told the pharmacists, would have no option than to establish such industries in Ghana, which would create employment for many, including pharmacists, chemists, biochemists, technicians, and factory hands.

The President also explained further reasons for removing the Value Added Tax (VAT) from selected imported pharmaceutical products, which were not locally produced, and the list of raw materials exempted from VAT has also been expanded to accommodate additional inputs to support the local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

Nana Akufo Addo also disclosed that the Ghana Eximbank has also extended additional funding to some local pharmaceutical companies to build new plants, and to bring their level of production to international standards, noting that these interventions have made an impact in the sector, which would definitely accelerate the economic development of the country.

The President said, to improve access to pharmaceutical products in the country and to create a local market for pharmaceutical products, he has tasked the Ministry of Health to support the procurement of locally manufactured pharmaceutical products.

This should be done through the framework contracting agreement, and ensure that fifteen percent price preference for locally manufactured goods is strictly adhered to, to serve as motivation to the local industries.

The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Mr. Benjamin Kwame Botwe, said all over the world, many professionals and individuals were looking at new ways of doing things, and adopt strategies that would meaningfully care for humanity. In view of this, he said his outfit would adopt modest means of engaging the real and virtual environments in which healthcare thrives.

Mr. Botwe noted that globally, and in Ghana, pharmacists have played diverse roles in the healthcare leadership, management and provision of specialists' pharmaceutical care, as well as services, ensuring that safe, quality and efficacious medicines were produced.

The President of the Pharmaceutical Association of Ghana commended the government for the removal of VAT from the selected imported pharmaceutical products essential medicine list, noting that members of the Ghana Chamber of Pharmacy and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana have responded positively, and hoped that the reduction in prices of medicines would improve access to the ordinary Ghanaian.

Mr. Botwe said the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana was very much concerned about the wide variation of prices of medicines across the pharmaceutical value chain, and called on the government to, as a matter of importance, promulgate a policy on drug pricing to be backed by law.

He also appealed to the President to appoint a pharmaceutical industrial development executive at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to focus on development of the pharmaceutical industry. He additionally called on the government to form a high level inter-ministerial committee to oversee the development of the pharmaceutical industry in the country.

According to the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, his outfit would appreciate it if the government allocates land for an industrial park for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, just as India, China and Ethiopia have done.

He disclosed that the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana has already initiated steps to conduct a study tour of these countries to learn about the concept, and appealed to the government to support the move.

Mr. Botwe reminded members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana about the challenges the country faced in relation to the misuse and abuse of Tramadol and other substance abuse problems in the communities, and urged pharmacists to strictly stick to ethical business and avoid the sale of tramadol to patients without prescriptions.