Dr Robert Incoom, Director of Pharmacy at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), has instructed the public to always consult the pharmacist before taking any medication.
He warned that taking drugs which were not duly prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner was extremely dangerous and could be fatal.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Dr Incoom explained that pharmacists per their training, played a lifesaving role in healthcare delivery and, therefore, should not be by-passed.
He explained that many diseases might have similar symptoms but require completely different treatments and cautioned citizens to be wary.
“When medicines are not prescribed or recommended by the pharmacist or any health care provider, you stand the risk of developing adverse drug reactions which could cause more illness and even death.
“So, we are encouraging the populace to consult their pharmacist or health care provider on any issue on medicine, so that we ensure that together the pharmacy and the entire health care team promote quality health care,” he said.
He added that CCTH had established a fully-fledged clinical pharmacy unit to ensure patients who were admitted went through medication therapy review to optimise drug therapy and improve the quality of care.
He said the hospital was determined to expand its pharmaceutical and clinical pharmacy services to give patients the best of health care and increase access.
Source: GNA
