The 1984 pharmacy year group of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has donated items worth Gh¢33,000 to their faculty at this year’s Pharmaceuticals Society of Ghana’s Annual General Meeting at Koforidua.

The Alumni 84, as they are known, presented test tubes, conical flasks, beakers and other laboratory equipment to the Pharmacy Department of the University as a way of showing their appreciation.

Professor William Otu Ellis, the Vice Chancellor of the University who received the items, expressed his appreciation to the alumni. Prof Ellis said urged other year groups to learn from Alumi 84 and support the faculties that trained them.

Madam Salimata Abdul-Salam, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, called on the Pharmaceutical Society to ensure proper use of drugs in health care delivery.

Madam Salimata also urged pharmacists to cooperate with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the quest to make Ghana an Ebola free country.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Antwi-Bosiako Sekyere, called on pharmacists not to always focus on making abnormal gains but should also consider the interest of the poor and the deprived.

“We often times find charlatans parading at lorry stations and sometimes even on the streets as providing medicines that cure almost every kind of ailments and this is not in the best interest of the public” he said.

Mr James Ohemeng-Kyei, the President of the Society, pleaded with his colleague pharmacists to ensure the responsible use of drugs in health care delivery.

He appealed to the MOH to look into the case of four pharmacists at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital who were asked to proceed on leave and for some time now have still not been called back to duty.

Mr Benjamin Kwame Botwe, an international pharmacy consultant, called for effective use of drugs and said though medicines are essential in the prevention, treatment and cure of diseases, they could as well be hazardous unless they are used effectively.

He proposed the separation of prescribing and dispensing of medicines to ensure responsible use of drugs and value for money especially under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).