The has expressed concern over what it describes as the inadequate recruitment of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians under the latest exercise conducted by the .
In a statement issued on Monday, May 11, 2026, the association warned that the number of professionals recruited falls far short of what is needed to address the severe staffing shortages facing public health facilities across .
According to GHOSPA, more than 4,000 pharmacists and over 6,000 pharmacy technicians were successfully verified through the Ministry’s recruitment portal and confirmed their readiness to accept postings into the public health system.
However, only 100 pharmacists and 150 pharmacy technicians were reportedly recruited.
The association described the outcome as alarming, stating that less than 3% of the available and verified workforce was absorbed.
“An intake of this scale cannot, by any measure, be considered responsive to the depth of the staffing crisis confronting our facilities,” the statement said.
GHOSPA also raised concerns about the recruitment process, citing limited transparency in regional vacancy allocations, technical challenges with the application portal, and inadequate stakeholder consultation.
According to the association, many applicants experienced persistent network failures and system instability during the application process, which may have prevented qualified professionals from successfully applying.
The association warned that the shortage of pharmaceutical staff continues to place enormous pressure on existing personnel, with some pharmacists reportedly unable to take annual or study leave because they are the only pharmacists serving entire facilities.
While commending Health Minister for initiating the recruitment exercise, GHOSPA stressed that the current intake should only be viewed as a first step.
The association has therefore called on the Ministry to significantly increase recruitment in subsequent phases, publish clear employment figures, and involve key stakeholders such as the and the in future recruitment planning.
GHOSPA says addressing the country’s pharmaceutical workforce gap is critical to improving medication safety, patient care and the overall quality of healthcare delivery.
