Mission Pharmacist

The Mission Pharmacist shall ensure the overall functioning of the PUI Pharmacies at central, base and project level, securing an adequate and timely supply of quality health consumables, equipment and medicines to the projects.

The Mission Pharmacist will be responsible for giving technical support to the pharmacy teams at field level and building capacity to respect PUI procedures. The Mission Pharmacist must ensure proper pharmaceutical management (procurement, storage, distribution, inventory, consumption, and data management) for the entire mission, both at the coordination level and at operational bases and supported health structures.

The Mission Pharmacist will work closely with the logistics team to ensure the supply chain health consumables, equipment and medicines in a timely, reliable and well documented way at all levels.

Pharmaceutical Management: The Mission Pharmacist is in charge of monitoring all pharmaceutical matters regarding stock and supply across the Mission, in collaboration with the Central Pharmacists (supervised by the Mission Pharmacist) and the Field Pharmacists (supervised by the Project Managers). The Mission Pharmacist shall ensure that the items in stock are on good standards of humidity, safety and temperature, acting when the indicators are not adequate or when there is shortage or overstock;

Procurement: The Mission Pharmacist is in charge of the Medical Procurement Process from the Programs’ perspective. With the support of the Central Pharmacists, Health Coordinator and Deputy, Project Managers and other field positions, the Mission Pharmacists shall prepare the needs assessment, proposal’s budget, procurements request and choose the items from the market, in collaboration with the logistics and projects;

Training: The Mission Pharmacist shall work towards the development of the mission and his team, by developing presentations and trainings from the scratch or based on available models, prepare a timeline for delivering it and collect feedback for continuous improvement;

specific objective and linked activities

Data Analysis, Collection and Treatment

o    Analyze the data to optimize the management of health consumables, equipment and medicines (needs assessment, purchase, control, supply, cold chain, expiry dates, overstock/shortage etc.);

o    Contribute technically to the writing of donors’ reports and proposals specifically for information on pharmacy;

o    Have technical oversight on data collection (in/out, consumption) of bases and health facilities and ensure accurate data entry into the pharmacy management software (currently tools on excel/SagaStock);

o    With the Health Coordinator improve the loan/return policies and donation of drugs and medical items;

o    Work in collaboration with the medical department to check, in relation to epidemiological data, the status of stocks and the consumptions and assess the appropriateness of prescriptions;

Mission Strategy

o    Conduct regular assessment visits and support Central Pharmacist field visits, in order to ensure proper management of drugs at both base pharmacies as well as health facilities;

Development of policies;

o    Provide training and technical support to the pharmacists and staff in charge of pharmacies on: Stock management, rational use of medicines, substitution and therapy options, and analysis of consumption of health facilities;

o    Provide technical support to staff in charge of pharmacies in health facilities supported by PUI: implementation tools, ad hoc training;

Reporting and Representation

o    Ensure the appropriate filing of documentation and archives;

o    Maintain and share an annual PUI pharmacy activity planning;

o    Participate in base coordination meetings;

o    Participate in external meetings related to pharmacy and PUI projects (Health Cluster, etc.);

o    Participate in health team meetings;

o    Share monthly copies of all relevant data including AMC, stock reports, with the Health Coordinator HQ pharmacist and HQ health advisor;

o    Write a monthly activity report to be transmitted to Situation Report;

Stocks Management

o    Conduct pharmacy assessment of the Pharmacies, focusing on: Stock movements both computerized and physical, anticipation and management of expired drugs, organization of the stock for project requirements (according with donors);

o    Develop of pharmaceutical SOP and tools for stock management of the base pharmacies and health facilities, in collaboration with project managers, training or implementation, monitoring and evaluation;

o    Support the implementation, the understanding and application of procedures and tools used at base level and health facilities supported.

o    Supervision of pharmacovigilance including the review of report concerning the quality of a drug in accordance with PUI pharmaceutical management procedures;

o    Supervise the stock management of particular pharmacies (first aid kits, etc). Inform the Health Coordinator in case of irrational consumption or any misuse of pharmacy items;

o    Technical oversights on adaptation of SOP to meet the national legislation, in particular for narcotic and psychoactive medicines, ensure quality and safety;

Staff Management

o    Conduct the appraisal of the Central Pharmacist and support the appraisal of Pharmacy Storekeeper;

o    Develop an Annual Planning for the activities of the Central Pharmacist;

o    Support the Project Manager/PHCC Manager to conduct technical aspects of Pharmacists appraisals at project level;

Supply Management

o    Ensure in collaboration with the logistics department, procedures with the local health and administrative authorities to obtain import licenses and taxes exemption.

o    Participate in the technical inspection of local suppliers where appropriate;

o    Place orders in collaboration with the Health Coordinator and monitor the purchase orders sent to HQ in collaboration with the Logistics Coordinator;

o    Work with logistics and medical departments of Erbil and Headquarters for the purchase of consumables, equipment and medicines, in accordance with PUI and donors procedures;

Technical Support

o    Draw up in collaboration with Project Managers the Job Descriptions of the members of the pharmacy team and play an active role in recruitment;

o    Strengthen the capacity of health facility teams so that they can assume duties independently and can be critical in terms of consumption;

o    Support, in collaboration with Field Coordinator/ Health Coordinator/ Logistic coordinator, the settlement of new warehouse when needed, including settlement of appropriate management tools, human resources and training implementation and follow up;

The tasks and responsibilities defined in this job description are non-exhaustive and can evolve depending on the project’s needs.

Procurement: As the main position in charge of initializing and following the procurement process, the Mission Pharmacist must be able to follow up procurements in collaboration with the Coordination, Field and Headquarters, both on Programs (Health) and Support (Logistics) with a critical view on the consumption, needs, quality, quantities, quotes and time for delivery;

Stock and Supply Management: With multiple pharmacies and warehouses, the Mission Pharmacist collects, analyses and share the results and directions for the central and field pharmacists, while communicating with the Headquarters in order to improve and guarantee the best stock and supply conditions in the Mission.

Language skills

•     Mandatory: English
•     Desirable: Arabic, French, Kurdish

Education degree

• Mandatory: Pharmaceutical Sciences/Pharmacy Degree, registered on the Pharmacists’ Syndicate;
• Desirable: Public Health post-graduation;

Work experience

• Humanitarian: Experience with Internally Displace People, past positions in humanitarian NGOs based in Iraq, volunteering on humanitarian activities and projects;
• International: Attendance to international conferences outside Iraq, exchange in a different country, participation on NGOs (humanitarian, pharmaceutical, student, etc.);
• Technical: Previous position in pharmaceutical management, such as community pharmacy, primary health care center, health and/or pharmaceutical supplier, pharmaceutical industry logistics;

Knowledge and skills

• Communication Skills: Fluent reading, speaking and writing in English for all the platforms in the mission and with partners;
• Project Management: Skillful on planning, executing, documenting, monitoring and controlling the different steps of the pharmaceutical tasks;
• Training Skills: Proficient on preparing and delivering presentations for staff from different departments using black/white board, flipchart, paper and PowerPoint, regarding planning, reports and training;

Computer skills

• Required: Advanced Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word;
• Desirable: Dropbox, Project, Sagastock and Visio;

Other

• Procurement: Experience with procurement process, in special needs assessment;
• Health Consumables and Equipment: Knowledge on different consumables and equipment for Basic Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care, Emergency Department, Laboratory and Primary Health Care Centers;
• National Market: Knowledge of the main suppliers of health items in Iraq, in special in Anbar and Ninawa;

assets

Interests: Humanitarian and International activities in Iraq, Middle East and nearby countries. Interest in activities of partner organizations;

Transversals skills: Analytical skills, creativity, diplomacy, independency, initiative, pro-activeness, professionalism, reactiveness and take the responsibility.