Pharmacists, Pharmacy Training and Mental Health Care Provision in Ghana
Keywords:
Pharmacists, Pharmacy Training, Mental Health, GhanaAbstract
Background: Generally, mental health care seeking in Ghana, a small, very religious West African nation of about 25 million people, is a pluralistic phenomenon, fraught with stigma. The advent of biomedical medicines, with pharmacists involved in providing medicines for mental health care, has somewhat lessened this stigma.
Context: Has the pharmacy curriculum in Ghana adequately prepared students to be part of a mental health team? What is the attitude of pharmacy students and pharmacists towards mental health provision? Will the passage of the Mental Health Bill make any impact on pharmacists’ role in mental health? Answers to these questions are explored by examining literature and relevant institutional documents
Evaluation: Minimal attention has been paid to the training of pharmacists in the provision of mental health care, especially in Ghana. It is recommended that pharmacists themselves and related bodies collaborate to make effective use of this neglected potential.
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