Pharmacy Council pushes telemedicine to bridge healthcare access gaps

Dr. Daniel Amaning, Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Ghana, has emphasised the need for Ghana to embrace telemedicine as a means of expanding healthcare and meeting growing patient needs.

He stated that telemedicine offers significant benefits and increases access to medicine for people in areas with limited healthcare facilities.

Speaking at the West Africa Pharma and Healthcare Expo in Accra on Wednesday, May , 2025, Dr. Amaning noted that telemedicine makes healthcare more accessible and reduces medical costs.

Telemedicine provides remote clinical services through real-time audio-visual communication between patients and healthcare providers. It includes virtual appointments, remote patient monitoring, and the sharing of medical information—offering particular benefits to areas with limited healthcare access.

Dr. Amaning added that the implementation of the National Electronic Pharmacy (NEP) will enhance pharmaceutical regulation, promote access to safe medications, and ensure the accuracy of medical information.

He explained that NEP also enables the regulation of telemedicine, including mechanisms to prevent certain medications from being dispensed via the platform—even under prescription.

He called for increased collaboration within the pharmaceutical industry to help advance telemedicine in Ghana.

Pharmacist Samuel Otuo-Serebour, Managing Director of Drugnet Ghana, also advocated for telepharmacy, saying it saves time, offers convenience, and ensures patient privacy.

“Telepharmacy makes it easy for people to access medication quickly and from the comfort of their homes, in real time,” he said.

He urged the pharmaceutical industry to embrace telepharmacy, highlighting its vast market potential. Drugnet, he added, is currently seeking partners to help expand the telemedicine sector.

Mr. Otuo-Serebour said Drugnet is shaping the future of healthcare in Ghana by ensuring access to quality, safe, and affordable medications.

“Drugnet has qualified and certified nurses at the centre of telepharmacy, ensuring that prescriptions are properly validated before delivery. The whole idea of telemedicine is to provide a more responsible way of delivering medications to patients,” he explained.

The pharmacist warned that medications could be either lifesaving or fatal, underscoring the critical role of pharmacists in ensuring safe drug use.

He noted that Drugnet employs an AI-powered app that enables patients to communicate with pharmacists, chat, and place orders for chronic medications. AI, he added, allows for real-time patient engagement and efficient medical data retrieval.

To prevent the abuse and misuse of medications online, Otuo-Serebour said telepharmacy backend operations are managed by certified pharmacists who understand prescription protocols.

The West Africa Pharma Healthcare Show is an international trade fair for the medical and pharmaceutical industries held in Ghana.

This year’s edition brought together manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers, and distributors in the medical, diagnostic, and pharmaceutical sectors, along with hospitals and key decision-makers from across West Africa.

Source: GNA