CEO Of Achievers Pharmacy Cries Over ‘Unlawful’ Closure Of Facility

The Chief Executive officer of Achievers Pharmacy and Laboratory Services Philip Anokye has called out the Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Pharmacy Council for what he described as witch-hunting and a move to frustrate young entrepreneurs doing legitimate business in the country.

Philip Anokye was speaking to media reports of a closure of the pharmacy department of his facility by a joint operation by the Pharmacy Council in the Ashanti Region and the police at their Konongo branch on Friday, 2 February 2024. This operation was specifically targeted at Achievers Pharmacy and the police was lured into it because the Police officers themselves did not understand why the Director wanted to close the shop hence resulted in the reluctance approach by the Konongo Police officers during the operations.

Achievers Pharmacy and Laboratory services is one of the known leading medical facilities in Ashanti Region with branches in Obuasi and Konongo. This facility has employed over 20 health professionals and other paramedics. The facility was in the news last year as a result of similar move by the Council which resulted in a lengthy closure of their facility in Obuasi for no reason. For which a further probe reviewed that the Ashanti Regional Director acted unlawfully and that the then National Pharmacy Registrar, Dr RAUF ordered for reopening of the Pharmacy.

Throwing more light on the issue at hand, the CEO of Achievers Pharmacy and Laboratory Services said they have followed all the due processes before they opened their Konongo branch.

“As per the laid down regulations, and others, we have to hire the services of a pharmacist in good standing which we have already done. The Pharmacist has since worked closely with the Director of the Pharmacy council to go through the online registration”, he added.

Mr. Anokye continued that the Director has been participating fully and assisting them to go through the online processes since January, 2024 hence could not fathom why the Director together with the Police in a rambo style fashion came to close down their shop.

Lengthy registration processes

The Achievers CEO further stated that, as per the practise in the Pharmaceutical business, as long as the site for the business in accepted and the Pharmacist are in good standing and approval is given, they could start operations whiles going through the registration processes due to the bureaucratic nature of it. “This is a system certified and approved by the council due to the long processes the registration takes and mind you, we need to meet customers’ demands”.

Payment of facilitation

As a norm, Philip Anokye said they had to pay huge amounts to the Director and his people as facilitation whiles undergoing the registration processes and awaiting the paper certification, hence do not understand why the Council saw the need to close their shop for no apparent reason. He described the practise as a mere extortion from the Director and his Pharmacy inspectors at the Council.

Registration with HeFRA

According to the CEO of Achievers Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory, their Laboratory has been certified by the Health Facility Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) to operate their business lending credence to their resolve to follow due processes.

“As we talk we have been certified by HeFRA to work. The  Regional Director of HeFRA lauded as for our work and the facilities we have. He implored us to recruit more Staff to bridge the unemployment gap in the country”.

Intervention

Meanwhile the CEO of Achievers Pharmacy and Laboratory Services has called on the Ministry of Health and the Government to intervene to put a stop to the illegalities perpetuated by the Ashanti Regional Pharmacy council.

” Government must strictly intervene to put a break on the illegal activities happening at the Council since it is becoming a disincentive to doing legitimate business in the country, whiles genuine businesses are gradually collapsing due to this”, he concluded.