The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has expressed concern over the number of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians recruited under the Ministry of Health’s recent employment exercise, describing the figures as inadequate to address the severe shortage of pharmaceutical professionals in public health facilities.

The association acknowledged the Ministry’s efforts to begin tackling the backlog of unemployed pharmacy professionals but maintained that the scale of recruitment falls far short of the sector’s needs.

GHOSPA disclosed that more than 4,000 pharmacists and over 6,000 pharmacy technicians were successfully verified through the Ministry’s recruitment portal and indicated their willingness to accept postings within the public health system.

However, only 100 pharmacists and 150 pharmacy technicians were reportedly offered employment.

The association described the outcome as alarming, noting that fewer than three per cent of the verified workforce had been absorbed into the public health service.

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“An intake of this scale cannot, by any measure, be considered responsive to the depth of the staffing crisis confronting our facilities,” the report stated.

GHOSPA also criticised aspects of the recruitment process, citing limited transparency in the allocation of regional vacancies, technical difficulties with the online application portal, and inadequate engagement with key stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector.

According to the association, many applicants experienced network failures and system instability during the application period, which may have prevented some qualified candidates from successfully completing their applications.

The association warned that many hospitals and dispensaries across the country continue to operate with insufficient pharmaceutical personnel, placing enormous pressure on pharmacists currently in service.

GHOSPA noted that the shortage has contributed to widespread burnout, with some pharmacists unable to take annual or study leave because they are the only professionals responsible for pharmaceutical services at their facilities.

While commending the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, for initiating the recruitment exercise, the association stressed that the current intake should only be viewed as a first step.

GHOSPA has therefore called on the Ministry of Health to significantly expand recruitment in future phases, publish clear employment figures, and collaborate closely with the Pharmacy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana to address the country’s pharmaceutical workforce shortage.

MRA/VPO

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