The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG) has engaged the Executive Management of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to seek further details regarding the temporary suspension of three pharmacies from providing services under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The engagement follows a public notice issued by the NHIA on 14 May 2026, announcing the immediate temporary suspension of the pharmacies over what the Authority described as material irregularities in claims and service transactions linked to the facilities.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the NHIA in Accra, Executive Secretary of the PSG, Dennis Sena Awitty, said the Society considered it necessary to engage the Authority as part of its mandate to uphold professional standards and protect the integrity of the pharmacy profession.
“We are grateful for the audience granted to us by the Executive Management of the NHIA at such short notice,” Mr Awitty said.
He explained that following the publication of the NHIA circular, the Society initiated a series of follow-up actions to identify the pharmacists associated with the affected facilities and gather information required for any professional review.
“We are a society of pharmacists, not pharmacies. Because pharmacists work in those facilities, we needed to write to the regulator who licenses them and renews their licences annually to ascertain which pharmacists were involved,” he stated.
Mr Awitty noted that the Society had a responsibility to investigate matters that could bring the profession into disrepute. He emphasised that while the PSG would not shield any member found culpable of professional misconduct, it also had a duty to defend members whose rights may have been unfairly affected.
He further commended the NHIA for maintaining open engagement with professional bodies, describing such collaboration as vital to promoting accountability and sustaining public confidence in the healthcare system.
Responding to the Society’s concerns, the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, praised the PSG for adopting what he described as a responsible and professional approach to the issue.
“Before we took this decision, the evidence was very convincing, damning and overwhelming. We would not have taken this step if we were not sure,” Dr Bampoe stated.
He indicated that the suspended pharmacies represented only a small part of a wider challenge facing the NHIS, noting that irregularities within the system had become widespread and, in some cases, normalised.
According to Dr Bampoe, the Authority’s actions are aimed at safeguarding the long-term sustainability of the Scheme, particularly at a time when claims reimbursements to healthcare providers have become significantly more prompt.
“We are talking about preserving the Scheme. If we do not take these measures, the release of funds to the NHIA could be affected, and that will impact both the Authority and service providers,” he said.
The NHIA Chief Executive stressed that stakeholders responsible for financing the Scheme expected decisive action against fraudulent practices and financial leakages, adding that the era of tolerating misconduct within the system must come to an end.
Touching on the recently approved tariff adjustments for healthcare providers, Dr Bampoe revealed that implementation of the unprecedented review was partly dependent on the Authority’s ability to strengthen controls and minimise losses within the Scheme.
The meeting underscored the commitment of both institutions to promoting accountability, professional integrity and the sustainability of Ghana’s national health insurance system.
