To symbolise service, care and a sense of professionalism, the 30 inductees were adorned with White Coats by practicing pharmacists and inducted through the administering of the oath. They also received copies of the British National Formulary (BNF) as a working tool.
Speaking on the theme “The dynamic role of the pharmacist in a digital age”, Professor Alexander Dodoo, Director General of Ghana Standards Authority, said, digitisation confers immense power and provides opportunities to humanity. He gave credit to technology, which has proved necessary and advantageous since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prof. Dodoo said the current data age, with the use of Artificial Intelligence and robotics, has been driven by technology and has been of help to pharmacists, citing the use of drones to deliver medicines to patients. He however cautioned that, in as much as technology is an enabler, “technology without values is dangerous” because of its potential to be misused for criminal purposes. Therefore, “as we expand and appreciate technology, our values must also expand,” he said.
Prof. Dodoo also challenged the students to professionally demonstrate what is expected of them after spending several years in training as pharmacists. “You are going to deal with the strong, but also with the weak, the vulnerable and the poor; in all that you do, you do not have to compromise your standards, principles and values.” He then highlighted one of the key standards of the General Pharmaceutical Council, that is, to provide person-centred care, which requires working in partnership. He further cautioned the inductees to avoid needless competition that brings about theft wars with the patients at the receiving end “because, the healthcare profession is teamwork and not a competition among doctors, nurses and pharmacists.”
Professor T.C. Fleischer, Dean of the School of Pharmacy, in his welcome address, paid glowing tribute to both faculty and staff of the school of Pharmacy for the five-year journey so far. He recounted how the school started at the southern campus in 2016 before it was relocated to the main campus in 2019. He also hinted that the school “is working hard to start a post graduate programme in the pharmaceutical sciences.” Currently the student population is 204 for the entire programme, which is in its 5th year, and is accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
Vice Chancellor Professor John Gyapong, who chaired the event, said he was elated about this first White Coat ceremony of the School of Pharmacy. He lauded the hard work and dedication of the school’s faculty and staff, especially the Dean, Prof. T.C. Fleischer, for his tenacity and the immense support from the University Council that led to the establishment of the school.
In a statement on behalf of his classmates, Class Representative Bartholomew Ayimbire recalled their journey with mixed feelings, recalling how, at a point in time, the Vice Chancellor himself acted as Dean of the School. He also recalled how he and his colleagues surmounted the challenges, especially during the pandemic, when management and faculty of the school supported them with a digital platform for teaching and learning to continue.
The ceremony culminated in the commissioning of the School of Pharmacy block by VC Gyapong and SOP Dean Fleischer. They were supported by the representative of Torgbe Fia Korku III, Paramount Chief of Sokode Traditional Area and Torgbe Kodzo Doe I, Chief of Sokode-Lokoe (above right).
The construction of the building, which was funded by GETFUND began in 2018 and was completed in November 2019 by TDK Atlantic.