The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FPPS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has held its 4th White Coat Ceremony on the theme: “The Pharm D Pharmacist and Pharmacovigilance in a Digital Age”. The ceremony saw Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight (228) Doctor of Pharmacy students being robed in their white coats by key preceptors, alumni of FPPS and pharmacist parents.
In his welcome address, Prof. Berko Panyin Anto, Dean of FPPS noted that the Faculty has become a trailblazer amongst the five Schools of Pharmacy who have been accredited to run the Pharm D programme in the country. In light of this, he announced that 70% of lecturers in all the five accredited schools are products of KNUST.
According to the Dean, the ceremony is symbolic as it signifies a transition from the acquisition of preclinical knowledge to the acquisition of clinical knowledge.
Professor Berko hoped that by the end of the clinical training, the students would be able to examine information and make references based on evidence and offer opinions based on sound judgment. He finally challenged them to see the ceremony as the beginning of a race towards the goal of becoming enviable pharmacists in the healthcare industry.
The CEO of Food and Drugs Authority, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko, in her keynote address, defined Pharmacovigilance as the Science and activities relating to detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects of possible drug-related problems. She noted that by the end of the clinical pharmacy practice, the Pharm D pharmacists with more in-depth training would be in a position to identify adverse drug reactions, understand mechanisms of occurrence and put in interventions to protect patients from harm.
Mrs. Darko on behalf of the FDA applauded the FPPS for appreciating the importance of patient safety and thus ensuring the inclusion of Pharmacovigilance module into the curriculum. She promised that the FDA will continue to collaborate with the Faculty to ensure that Pharm D pharmacists cultivate the habit of monitoring the safety of medicines.
Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor paid tribute to all faculty members, staff, and parents whose dedicated work has resulted in the White Coat Ceremony. He charged the students to have a good sense of work ethics and stressed on the need for teamwork to make an impact in the practice.
The Chairperson for the occasion, Prof. Mrs. Frances Owusu-Daaku, administered the pledge.
The ceremony was sponsored by Amponsah-Efah Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Aspee Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Laud K Pharmacy, Vital Pharmacy, Western Pharmacy, Juliponia Pharmacy and Habmay Pharmacy Ltd.