The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has issued an urgent call to the Ministry of Finance to immediately grant financial clearance for the deployment of 599 pharmacist house officers, warning that failure to do so could spark a national crisis in pharmaceutical care.
This appeal follows the imminent exit of 333 house officers at the end of May, a situation GHOSPA says will create a dangerous gap in the delivery of essential pharmaceutical services across the country's healthcare facilities. "The 599 qualified pharmacist house officers awaiting posting have completed their training and are ready to fill these critical roles.
However, their deployment is unjustifiably stalled due to pending financial clearance," GHOSPA said in a press release issued on 28 May.
The association painted a dire picture of what could happen if the Ministry fails to act. "The simultaneous exit of 333 house officers without immediate replacement will overwhelm remaining pharmacists who are already understaffed, leading to medication errors, delayed treatments, and compromised patient safety," it warned.
