Practitioners Corner

The Ghana Pharmacy Council is a statutory regulatory body established by an Act of Parliament, The Pharmacy Act, (Act 489 ) 1994.

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GPPQE Guidelines

The Council is empowered by the Act to adopt, design and develop strategies within the legal framework to achieve its mandated aims and objectives. In pursuit of its avowed mission of securing in the interest of the Ghanaian people the highest possible quality of pharmaceutical services, the Council ensures that persons desiring to practice as Pharmacist in the country meet certain set minimum criteria bordering on knowledge, professional skills, competence and mental fortitude. The Ghana Pharmacy Professional Qualifying Examination is designed to achieve these minimum personal and professional attributes.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXAMINATION

The examination is administered twice in each calendar year, usually in March and November. Generally, announcement regarding the specific details of the examination is placed in the local print media a month or so prior to the dates for the examination.

Examination Format

The examination consists of two main parts:

  • Written
  • Oral

Written Examination

The written examination is taken on one day and it is composed of two sections.

  • • The first section is a set of 100 (one hundred) multiple choice questions (MCQ) covering all aspects of the Pharmacy profession. It tests the candidate's general knowledge in Pharmaceutical Sciences and their application to clinical situations as well as knowledge of Forensic Pharmacy as perceived by the Laws of Ghana. Candidates answer all questions by choosing from a number of options given after each question the correct or appropriate answer. Specific instructions usually precede questions which require to be answered in a particular manner. This section has a duration of 1 (one) hour or as may be stated by the Chief Examiner. Any time that may be spent on resolving any inconsistency or errors which are purely the responsibilities of the examiners, is added up at the end of the stipulated time. MCQ question and answer booklets are collected immediately at the end of the given time before candidates proceed to next section of the written examination. There is no break between this and the next section.
  • • The second part of the written examination consists of essay type of questions from which candidates choose to answer three questions usually with one question being compulsory for all candidates. Questions in this section may deal with specific issues or situations from any of the following aspects of Pharmacy practice or Public Health.
    1. 1. Clinical Pharmacy
    2. Industrial Pharmacy
    3. Forensic Pharmacy
    4. Community Pharmacy
    5. Public Health
    This section normally lasts 2 (two) hours.

THE ORAL EXAMINATION

The oral examination takes place a day after the written examination. Candidates are given appointment immediately after the written examination so as to be sure of the time to present oneself. The oral examination is a sort of an interactive session in which the candidate presents him/herself before a panel of examiners. Issues discussed could border on a number of issues including but not restricted to the following:

  • Candidate’s performance in the written examination
  • Raising practical scenarios to see how the candidate would handle similar situations in the practice setting.
  • Test the candidate’s ability to manage unique situations such as request for prescription medicines without prescriptions.
  • Test the candidate’s ability to advise clients on the proper use of medicines and medical devices and the correct administration of various dosage forms such as eye, ear and nasal drops, metered dose inhalers etc.
  • Test candidate’s knowledge on topical health issues such as HIV/AIDS etc.
  • Any peculiarities in candidate’s attitude observed during the internship training under a preceptor etc.
The time spent on each candidate by the panel varies and depends on a number of issues.

RELEASE OF EXAMINATION RESULTS

The results are usually made available within two to four weeks.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to register and sit for the GPPQE the applicant must have pursued and received a degree in Pharmacy from an accredited University in Ghana or from a recognized foreign University or College of Pharmacy. The duration of the course should not have been less than four years. In addition to that the candidate must satisfy all other requirements as may be determined by the Pharmacy Council at the time of registration. Eligibility is independent of nationality, race, creed or gender. Merit is purely based on the individual's achievement of the requisite degree.

REQUIREMENT FOR REGISTRATION

As a prerequisite for registering and sitting for the GPPQE entry level graduates undertake a twelve (12) month practical training under a qualified Pharmacist in both Hospital and Community Pharmacies. Ghanaian nationals may be assigned to work in a local industry or a Regulatory Agency as the situation may require but in all cases additional training in an accredited hospital is a requirement. Pharmacist practicing outside Ghana who desire to register in the country may be required to undertake a specified period, usually 3 (three) months, of practical training in a Community Pharmacy. This will enable the applicant to acquaint him/herself with the work environment in Ghana. A report on the practical training is issued by the preceptor at the end of the period. In summary the following are the requirements for registration:

  • A duly completed Registration Form
  • Certified copy of Pharmacy Degree Certificate
  • Copy of academic transcript (For applicants trained outside Ghana)
  • Report on internship training
  • One recently taken passport size photograph
  • Payment of the prescribed fee.

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