According to the College, the journal is to promote and develop the culture of research-oriented Teaching and Learning Practices, exposure for collaboration with other global partners, visibility of viable and prospective research works, and also create opportunities for showcasing new knowledge.

Speaking at the launch, the President of the College, Pharm Joseph Nyoagbe, said pharmacists should ensure the use of the ever-expanding body of literature to guide patient care and other pharmaceutical care activities and services.

He said pharmacists must participate in generating new knowledge to guide patient care through practice, empiricisms, and published works.

He said, “We are in the era of evidence-based practice, the complexities of modern pharmacy practice increasingly require practitioners to interpret, use, and communicate published research findings. Some drugs that were originally developed as antihypertensives are useful treatments for other conditions. Sildenafil for erectile dysfunction and Minoxidil for hair Loss easily come to mind. There are several such examples and discoveries in our contemporary practices. ”

“The publications of such findings made such research visible, motivate further investigations into already published data and in the field of practice,” he continued.

The Director of Pharmaceutical Services and the Chief Pharmacist of Ghana, Dr. Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt at the launch spoke on behalf of the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.

She praised the college for this achievement and also entreated Ghanaians to avail themselves for the Covid-19  vaccination to curb the spread.

She said, “These publications are expected to support the delivery of the mandate of the college including promoting specialist training, promoting research in pharmacy and related disciplines and contributing to the formulation of policies on health, medicines and public health generally”.

She observed that “the articles are well-laid out and beautifully designed. But the beauty is both inside and outside. The articles in this maiden edition are very informative”.

She also observed that in addition to the editorial committee, a strong panel of reviewers from diverse practices and specializations had contributed to making this journal what it is.

Recounting the journey towards the initiation of the journal, the editor, Pharmacist Oscar Cofie Bruce said, “The first meeting of the committee came off on Thursday, March 25 of this year. At that meeting, we all agreed that the job given to us was enormous and history-making and that it needed to be executed very well. With this awareness at the back of our minds, we proceeded immediately to come up with a name and draw up the Editorial Policy which, among other things, defines the GCP Journal.”

Pharmacist Bruce also explained the rigorous peer review through which each article had been taken. He further assured pharmacists, other healthcare professionals, and scientists who would be utilizing information from the GCP Journal and the desire to continue improving until the journal becomes one of the top sources of scientific information the world over.

About GCP Journal

The management of the Ghana College of Pharmacists constituted an Editorial Committee of four that is, Pharm (Dr.) Justice Dogbe, Pharm (Rev.) Jonathan Martey, Pharm Yvonne Yirenkyiwaa Esseku, and Pharm Oscar Cofie Bruce to work on bringing the journal into existence.

The GCP Journal is a bi-annual publication and will serve as the official journal of the College. It is targeted at practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, pharmaceutical industries, and the scientific community, as a whole. The GCP Journal will also serve as reference material and heighten the proficiency of the practicing pharmacist. It is peer-reviewed and will publish, among others, original scientific papers, reviews, case studies, features, interviews, and news items.

This maiden edition is themed, ‘Pharmacy, COVID-19 and the Future’, and, therefore, focuses on the state of pharmacy practice today and its prospects as influenced by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.