The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has raised red flags over what it describes as a grossly inadequate recruitment exercise by the Ministry of Health, revealing that only 250 pharmacy professionals were employed despite thousands being available for deployment.
In a statement issued on Monday, May 11, 2026, GHOSPA said more than 4,000 pharmacists and over 6,000 pharmacy technicians successfully completed verification through the Ministry’s recruitment portal and confirmed their willingness to accept postings across the country. However, only 100 pharmacists and 150 pharmacy technicians were reportedly recruited.
The association said the figures represent less than three per cent of the verified workforce and fall far short of addressing critical shortages in public hospitals and health facilities nationwide.
GHOSPA warned that many government hospitals continue to operate with inadequate pharmaceutical staff, forcing some pharmacists to manage entire facilities alone under extreme pressure.
According to the association, the staffing gap has resulted in burnout, with some pharmacists unable to take annual leave or pursue further studies because there are no replacements to take over their duties.
The association also criticised the recruitment process, citing a lack of transparency in regional allocations, limited stakeholder engagement and technical challenges with the application portal, including network failures that may have prevented qualified applicants from completing their submissions.
While acknowledging Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh for initiating the recruitment process, GHOSPA said the exercise should only be viewed as an initial step and called for a more aggressive recruitment drive.
It urged the Ministry to significantly increase future intake numbers, publish clear recruitment figures and involve institutions such as the Pharmacy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana in planning future employment exercises.
GHOSPA maintained that bridging Ghana’s pharmaceutical workforce gap remains essential to improving medication safety, patient care and overall healthcare delivery.
