Community pharmacies are a core part of the healthcare system in Ghana. They are often the first point of call for most Ghanaians who are unwell or may be looking for various products to boost their health. There are pharmacies in virtually every town and suburb in the Greater Accra region.
Most pharmacies operate on a cash and carry system, requiring that customers pay for services and drugs upfront. This system meant that cash was often found on the premises, sometimes even after closed hours. Unfortunately, this has also led to pharmacies becoming targets for thieves and robbers.
There has been a spike in the number of break-ins at community pharmacies especially in the Greater Accra Region in the last few months. This was a very worrying situation that needed to be remedied immediately.
In view of this, the Pharmacy Council in collaboration with the Public Affairs Unit of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana took the initiative and called a stakeholder meeting to discuss various measures that could be taken individually and collectively to ensure security in pharmacies and safety of pharmaceutical practitioners.
This report assessed the inadequate security measures in pharmacies, the modus operandi of the criminals/robbers, and the necessary preventive measures to be adopted to ensure safety and security in pharmacies.
The meeting was held on Thursday 18th March 2021.
Team of facilitators
The team of consultants/resource persons who briefed the participants were made up of the following persons;
- DSP Effia Tenge (GAR PRO) Ghana Police Service
- Louis Gyimah, Corporate Risk and Security Management Consult
- Daniel Amaning Danquah, Deputy Registrar, Operations (Ph, Council)
The meeting was conducted via zoom. In all, a total number of eighty-four (84) persons participated in the meeting.
