STG GHANA APP

The Government of Ghana, through the Natonal Medicine Policy,

remains commited to ensuring the availability of and accessibility to,

affordable and good quality medicines for all Ghanaians; and it is expected

that these medicines would be used ratonally. Achieving these objectves

require a comprehensive strategy that not only includes supply and

distributon, but also appropriate and thoughtul prescribing, dispensing

and use of medicines.

The Ministry of Health since 1983 has been publishing a list of

Essental Drugs with Therapeutc Guidelines to aid the ratonal use of

drugs. This document has been reviewed in response to new knowledge

on drugs and diseases and changes in the epidemiology of diseases in

Ghana. The Ministry has also produced guidelines for specifc disease

control programmes, diseases and identfable health providers.

The Standard Treatment Guidelines have been prepared as a tool

to assist and guide prescribers (including doctors, medical assistants,

and midwives), pharmacists, dispensers, and other healthcare staff who

prescribe at primary care facilites in providing quality care to patents.

The guidelines list the preferred treatments for common health problems

experienced by people in the health system and were subjected to

stakeholder discussions before being fnalised to ensure that the opinion

of the intended users were considered and incorporated.

The guidelines are designed to be used as a guide to treatment

choices and as a reference book to help in the overall management of

patents, such as when to refer. The guidelines are meant for use at all

levels within the health system, both public and private.

It is recognised that the treatment guidance detailed in this book may

differ from current practce. It is emphasised that the choices described

here have the weight of scientfc evidence to support them, together

with the collectve opinion of a wide group of recognised natonal and

internatonal experts. The recommendatons have been rated on the

following basis:

Evidence Ratng A – requires at least one randomised control trial

as part of a body of scientfc literature of overall good quality and

consistency addressing the specifc recommendaton.