Accra, 17 October 2014 -- The review of the National Medicines Policy has been supported by the MOH/WHO/EU/ACP Renewed Partnership to Strengthen Pharmaceutical Systems to Improve Access to Good Quality and Safe Medicines.

The National Medicines Policy represents decisions based on the best current evidence, the consensus opinion of all stakeholders as well as the general direction of governance on pharmaceuticals. Stakeholder ownership and commitment is important to take the best collective decisions for Ghana and ensure optimized implementation in the coming years.

A large national stakeholder meeting has been held to build consensus and harness views of stakeholders on various aspects of the policy. The meeting was attended by over 75 participants. These included 13 members of the parliamentary select committee on health, several senior directors from the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, Regional Directors of Health Services, representatives from the private sector, professional associations, civil society and journalists. The meeting was chaired by Mr Yileh Chireh, former Minister of Health and current chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health. At the meeting an overview of the NMP process and the current status of the draft NMP was shared. The new medicines policy aims to realize the commitment of the Government of Ghana towards the goal of ensuring universal access to affordable essential medicines of assured quality for all people living in Ghana, as well as their responsible use by health professionals and consumers.

The revision of the second edition has been informed by:

the need to strengthen pharmaceutical systems to meet the health needs of the population,
the need to sustain the gains made in ensuring financial access to medicines for the poor and vulnerable through the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme,
the need to strengthen pharmaceutical systems as a key component of health systems,
the need to develop the local pharmaceutical industry,
the need to strengthen the regulation of pharmaceuticals in Ghana, and
the need for sustainable interventions towards universal health coverage.
The policy would be finalized, with an implementation plan, advocacy and communication plan, as well as an M & E framework for cabinet endorsement and implementation.