KNUST inaugurates medication production unit

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has inaugurated a medication production unit under its Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FPPS) to produce some basic pharmaceuticals, detergents, soaps and sanitizers for direct supply to health facilities in the country.

The move is to give meaning to science and technology education, create job opportunities for professionals and also make the university more relevant in Ghana.

Significance

The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso, who inaugurated the facility last Friday, said it would not only contribute to the local production of such medication but also help students to be more creative.

He said producing such medication was one of the core businesses of the university and that products by the unit would compete with other drug producing institutions in the country.

The Medication Production Unit was established by the 1987 Year Group of the FPPS as its contribution to the university.

Promotion of research

The Dean of the FPPS, Rev. Prof. Charles Ansah, said the facility was also to promote research by the faculty in particular and the university community as a whole.

He said the unit would serve as a research centre to consolidate research in general by the various departments of the faculty to strengthen safety, efficacy, formulation and production of herbal remedies.

The dean underscored the need for the unit to help in training students to have hands-on experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing and appreciate the concept of manufacturing of goods and laboratory practices.

He announced that the unit had started producing Paracetamol and some detergents, adding that the medications were of good quality and high standard for public consumption.

Collaboration

Rev. Prof. Ansah called for collaboration among pharmaceutical entities to help improve on medical services in the country.

Both the Manager of the unit, Dr Joseph Adu, and the Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Dr Isaac Ayensu, reiterated the need for the faculty to commercialise its products in order to generate internal funds to support further research and extension of the unit.

They further stressed the need to equip departmental laboratories in the university to support the unit in its research, development and training programmes.