Hundreds of registered chemists from various disciplines across Ghana have gathered in Accra for the Pharma Youth Mentorship Forum.
Elle Mindly, a for-profit company with a passion for transformation and capacity-building, organised the event.
The forum worked in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), the Young Pharmacists Group (YPG), and Lead-It Africa in an effort to close the gap between the young workforce—who make up a sizable 60–70% of registered pharmacists with less than 10 years of experience—and the senior pharmacists with more experience.
The forum’s theme, “Grooming our younger chemists to excel in leadership roles,” covered important subjects like leadership, mentoring, and career growth. Senior chemists who have thrived as leaders in the field and are seasoned and experienced did not hesitate to share their knowledge with the participants.
Dr Samuel Kow Donkoh, president of PSGH and CEO of Cedar Point Chemists, who enthralled the audience with his personal and professional journey and shared important lessons from both achievements and failures, was one of the event’s highlights. The young chemists were very moved by this open discussion of experiences, which motivated them to pursue excellence in their careers.
The forum was enhanced by a panel discussion that was led by Mr. Richmond Armah and Ms. Audrey Bonsu. The panellists, which included Mr Thomas Boateng Appiagyei (CEO – Rock Chemists and former PSGH president), Dr Naana Aboagye Asare (Hospital Manager – Ports Medical Centre), and Dr Herman Yobo Addae (CEO – Lead-It Africa), kept the audience interested with their thoughtful responses to questions on leadership, mentorship, and generating job opportunities in the industry.
Industry veterans were also present at the event, including Mr Ben Botwe, the former head of PSGH, who urged new chemists to find their speciality and make a name for themselves in the field.
Doctor Delese The CEO of FDA, Mimi Darko, emphasised the value of self-improvement and the importance of concentrating on one’s own potential as opposed to comparing oneself to others. Each person in the room was left with a lasting imprint by her words of wisdom.
The charismatic Ms. Audrey Serwaa Bonsu served as host for the third event in the series, the Pharma Youth Mentorship Forum. Both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical companies generously sponsored the event, demonstrating their shared commitment to developing and empowering the future generation of chemists.
The Pharma Youth Mentorship Forum has undoubtedly sown the seeds of transformation within Ghana’s pharmaceutical industry, raising a generation of young chemists ready to lead with distinction and have a significant impact on their field and society as a whole. The echoes of inspiration and motivation can still be heard today.
