Institutional Drug Information Dissemination in Ghana: Barriers, Enablers, and System-Level insights

Background: Drug Information (DI) services are essential for safe and rational use of health technologies by providing timely, unbiased information to health professionals, policymakers, and the public. In Ghana, DI dissemination remains poorly institutionalised. Implementation Research (IR) offers a structured approach for identifying context-specific bottlenecks and practical strategies for integrating DI services into routine healthcare delivery. We explored the strengths, weaknesses, barriers, enablers, and strategies for strengthening DI services. Methods: We conducted a qualitative exploratory study using purposive sampling of eight (n=8) key stakeholders involved in DI service delivery and use, including hospital pharmacists, a medical doctor, and Ministry of Health officials. In-depth interviews were conducted to elicit experiences and perceptions regarding DI systems. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis to identify key strengths, weaknesses, barriers, enablers, and recommended implementation strategies. Results: Participants identified important strengths within Ghana’s DI landscape, including residual human resource (HR) capacity supporting services, sustained demand for DI in clinical practice, and updated curricula incorporating DI. These strengths were undermined by weaknesses, including the absence of a clear national drug information strategy, limited and inconsistent institutional management support compounded by HR constraints, limited technical capacity, limited visibility and awareness, and the perception of DI as a project rather than a core health system function. Key barriers included weak institutional support, inadequate-funding, infrastructural and logistical constraints, limited-access to reference materials, limited technical capacity, limited visibility/awareness with under-utilisation of services, continuous shift to digital through self-sourced information and weak stakeholder engagement. Enablers included recognition of the importance of timely and accurate information dissemination, its linkage to the wider health system and policy context, and its impact on health outcomes. Suggested strategies to address the identified barriers included evaluating the DI system to inform a new strategy and manual, active stakeholder engagement, reintroducing the DI newsletter via the digital DI platform, re-establishing the National Drug Information Resource Centre, and providing continuous training. Conclusion: Functional DI services are critical to evidence-based care and safe medicine use. Strengthening the system will require coordinated reforms to move DI from a fragmented to a sustainable health system function.