dr. akua asantewaa appiah-num safo
head of social and administrative pharmacy, gCPharm
Hello and welcome
Brief Profile on the head of faculty.
Dr. (Mrs.) Akua Asantewaa Appiah-Num Safo, Pharm.D, MS, Ph.D, FGCP
Dr. Appiah-Num Safo is a Fellow of the Ghana College of Pharmacists (FGCP), clinical pharmacist, pharmacy educator, and researcher with experience in clinical pharmacy practice, postgraduate education, pharmacy education research, and competency-based professional training. She possesses years of clinical and academic experience spanning hospital, ambulatory care, community pharmacy, medication therapy management, pharmacy education in Ghana and the United States.
Dr. Appiah-Num Safo holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Medication Therapy Management) from the University of Florida, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Social and Administrative Pharmacy with a major focus in Pharmacy Education from the University of Minnesota. Her doctoral training included minors in Global Public Health and Program Evaluation, providing a strong foundation for competency-based education, curriculum development, educational assessment, and quality improvement.
She currently serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where she is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, student assessment, experiential education, research supervision, and academic mentorship. She also supports clinical training at KNUST Hospital.
Her research interests include pharmacy education, clinical pharmacy practice, public health competencies, chronic disease management, implementation science, health systems strengthening, qualitative research, and program evaluation. She has published in reputable peer-reviewed journals and regularly presents scholarly work at international conferences such as those organized by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the American Public Health Association (APHA), and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).
Dr. Appiah-Num Safo has demonstrated leadership in pharmacy education through active service with international professional organizations, including the International Pharmaceutical Federation – Academic Pharmacy Section, where she contributes to faculty development, educational scholarship, research, and program assessment. She has also served on several academic committees dedicated to advancing pharmacy education globally.
As Academic Faculty Chair for Social and Administrative Specialty Training, Dr. Appiah-Num Safo is committed to supporting the Ghana College of Pharmacists’ vision of producing highly competent specialist pharmacists through structured competency-based education, clinical mentorship, scholarly research, ethical professional practice, and interprofessional collaboration. She will provide academic leadership in curriculum implementation, trainee supervision, assessment, research mentorship, quality assurance, and continuous program evaluation while fostering an environment that promotes excellence, lifelong learning, leadership, and patient-centered pharmaceutical care.
Dr. Appiah-Num Safo’s combination of international clinical experience, educational scholarship, leadership in pharmacy education, and commitment to advancing specialist pharmacy practice, positions her to contribute meaningfully to the Ghana College of Pharmacists’ mandate of developing the next generation of specialist pharmacists and strengthening healthcare in Ghana.
