Abutiate emerges World Glaucoma Patient Association (WGPA)vice president

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Pharm. Harrison Kofi Abutiate, managing director and CEO, Paracelsus Pharmacy and Marketing Company Ltd, Accra, Ghana, is now the vice president of the World Glaucoma Patient Association (WGPA).

Harry, who took over this position from 1st of January, 2013, is now the only African on the Board of Directors of World Glaucoma Patients Association, an affiliate of the World Glaucoma Association.

Born on 16th October, 1942 in Biakpa Avatime to Late Oscar Komla Abutiate and Aurelia Ablometi, he attended Biakpa Avatime Primary School, Kpedze Middle School, Amedzofe Middle School (1948-1957), Achimota Secondary School (1958-1962) and KNUST (1963-1969), graduating with a B. Pharm (Hons) degree. He holds a CIM–UK Certificate in Marketing and is a Chartered Marketer–UK.

 

Employed by Merck Sharp & Dohme International (MSD) as Zone Manager for West  Africa, covering Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia (1969-1978) during which he marketed Chibret (MSD Subsidiary) eye care products, including Ivermectin for treating onchocirchiasis, in Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone. He was promoted and based in Nairobi, Kenya as the MSD Zone Manager for Western, Eastern and Central Africa from 1978 to 1987, and was responsible for Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania and The Seychelles.  He returned to Ghana in 1988 and worked for MSD for two more years before retiring.

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From 1990 to date, he has worked as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Paracelsus Pharmacy and Marketing Company Ltd, founded with his wife, Elizabeth.  It is a community pharmacy, based in Osu RE Accra, specialising in marketing of various Alcon Pharmaceuticals eye care products, thus extending the variety and range of quality eye care products available to ophthalmologists, optometrists and ophthalmic nurses, as well as giving support and discount on eye medicines to glaucoma patients in Ghana.

 

He supported Ophthalmological Society of Ghana (OSG), for the past three years, to organise various conferences as a Platinum Sponsor, while helping ophthalmic nurses training school, Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and the West African Post Graduate College of pharmacists with update lectures on medicines for treating various eye conditions. For the past five years, he has also sponsored Alcon/Paracelsus prize for the best final year student in ophthalmology at the Ghana Medical School.

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As National President of Glaucoma Association of Ghana (GAG), a national glaucoma patients support group, from 1990 to date, Harry, as he is affectionately called, has helped organise several glaucoma awareness weeks and eye screening programmes in various parts of Ghana.

 

Harry, is a Fellow and past President of the Chartered of Marketing Ghana, CIMG (1999-2003); Chairman, Pharmacy Council of Ghana (2005-2007); Fellow of Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana; Board Member, University of Professional Studies (UPSA), formerly IPS (2004 to date); Fellow of the West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) by examination; and Chairman of the Ghana Chapter   of WAPCP (2007 to date).

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Harry is also the Chairman, Executive Oversight & Avatime Development Committee and was decorated with the highest Award of the Avatime Traditional Council, OSISIBLISI, for professional Excellence in his chosen field and tremendous contribution to the development and upliftment of Avatime Traditional Area, by His Majesty, Osie Adza Tekpor V11, Paramount Chief of Avatime Traditional Area and the people of Avatime, as a worthy son in November, 2010.

Harry is an active member and former Member of Council of Trinity United Church, Legon (1995 to date); as well as Member of International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA).

 

He has written many feature articles on eye care products and has travelled widely, attending conferences on eye care. His hobbies include reading books on eye diseases, (especially Glaucoma), football and boxing.  He is married to Elizabeth and they have three children.

 

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