Adopt new technologies and Research to Enhance Pharmacy practice- WAPCP Chair
By Stephen Freeman
The Chairperson of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP), Ghana Chapter, Dr. Pharm. Mrs. Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt has urged pharmacists and other health professionals to adopt new technologies and research tools to enhance specialist pharmacy practice and improve patient outcomes.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the College in Accra, held under the theme “Advancing Specialist Pharmacy Practice to Address Emerging Health Issues: A Call to Action”, Dr. Gyansa-Lutterodt encouraged participants to utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies to improve the quality of healthcare they provide.
“We expect that, by the end of this conference, a call to action shall reflect the need for us to invest in specialist training by supporting programmes that develop advanced pharmacy skills to improve care programmes like the current NCD agenda of Mahama Cares,” she said.
She also emphasised the importance of teamwork in healthcare delivery. Dr. Gyansa-Lutterodt stressed the need to “promote interprofessional collaboration by working together as teams to improve patient outcomes.”
Reiterating her call for innovation, she said, “Let’s embrace innovation by leveraging technology and research to enhance specialist pharmacy practice. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies to support health outcomes is no longer optional. We must work together to advance specialist pharmacy and improve healthcare outcomes.”
The West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP), inaugurated in February 1991, is a professional body dedicated to the promotion of postgraduate education and specialist training in pharmacy across West Africa. The College plays a key role in developing policies, research, and training programmes aimed at strengthening pharmaceutical care and promoting rational drug use within the sub-region.
Over the years, WAPCP has worked closely with national health authorities and international partners to address pressing health challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, substandard and falsified medicines, and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, and in Ghana, towards the fight of illegal mining, known as Galamsey.
Through its regional training programmes, it continues to build the capacity of pharmacists to take on leadership roles in clinical, community, and industrial pharmacy practice.
This year’s conference brought together a large number of pharmacists, academics, and policymakers from Ghana and other West African countries to deliberate on strategies for integrating emerging technologies into pharmacy education and practice.
Discussions centred on the use of data analytics, telepharmacy, and digital health tools to improve medication management, enhance patient safety, and strengthen healthcare delivery systems.
As Ghana’s health sector continues to evolve, experts say digital transformation in pharmacy practice will be essential to achieving universal health coverage and ensuring that patients receive safe, effective, and timely care.
