The National Executive Council of the Chamber of Pharmacy, Ghana (CoPG), has directed its membership to, henceforth, request government hospitals to provide payment guarantees before medicines could be supplied to them.

This, according to the Chamber, is the only way to sustain their individual companies.

The Chamber has further said health facilities in debt for more than three months shall no more enjoy any credit facilities from their members.

“Our position is as a result of the delay in payment by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) through the Health Service Providers,” the Chamber said in a statement.

The Chamber came to this conclusion at its meeting on 22 January 2020 in Accra, where it deliberated on issues of national importance and matters confronting the pharmaceutical industry.

The issue of delayed reimbursement by health service providers was high on the agenda.

CoPG has further called on the government to ensure adherence to the NHI Act on reimbursements to service providers.

The Chamber also wants a review of the current Ministry of Health framework contract and a reversion to the decentralised procurement system by the regional health directorates and teaching hospitals, through national competitive tenders.

“The Chamber will like to remind the government and all stakeholders that we will ensure that good quality health commodities are available, accessible, and affordable to all people living in Ghana and anchored by a sustainable, reliable, responsive, efficient, and well-coordinated supply chain,” the statement signed by Mr Harrison Kofi Abutiate, Chairman of the CoPG added.