Pharmacy Advisor

Job Description

For more than 30 years, Médecins du Monde (MDM), a campaigning medical organization committed to international solidarity, has been caring for the most vulnerable populations at home and abroad. It has continued to highlight obstacles that exist in accessing health care and has secured sustainable improvements in health-for-all policies. Those working for this independent organization do not solely dispense care and treatment but condemn violations of human dignity and rights and fight to improve matters for populations living in precarious situations. MdM currently works in 44 countries across all continents where it focuses on 4 priority areas: caring for the health of migrants and displaced persons, promoting sexual and reproductive health, harm reduction associated with drug use, emergencies, and crisis.

Médecins du Monde is operating in Ethiopia since 1986 in different types of health projects from long-term interventions to emergency response.

MdM France has concentrated its efforts on projects related to basic access to primary health care (projects centered on rural health facilities and isolated populations), reduction of maternal mortality through improved quality of obstetric care, promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights including protection against gender-based violence, provision of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and reduction of malnutrition.

After a period of uncertainty, the mission has recently significantly grown. Although the Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge for the teams and the programming, in 2020 and 2021 it has expanded with its current programming in Semera (Afar) and Chinaksen (Oromia) where MdM France leads a consortium with COOPI and MdM Germany, and solid prospects for intervention in connection with the conflict in some parts of the country. The mission has also reshaped after the handover of its project in Somali region to MdM Germany in May 2021. Towards the end of 2022, security situation in Tigray region improved following peace agreement and in 2023, MdM plans to intervene in Tigray, to provide integrated primary healthcare services.

Duty station: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa    

Employment Term: 10 months contract with possibility of extension

Basic Salary: 56,160.00 ETB

Reported to: Medical coordinator and working in collaboration with the HQ pharmacist referent and HQ health Advisor.

Required positions: 1 (One)

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Medical coordinator, the Pharmacy Advisor is responsible for the overall management of the pharmaceutical and nutrition commodities and material needed for the projects. This includes, quality insurance of supplies, supply chain (including stock) follow up and need estimates, support to clinics in stock management and qualitative prescriptions (risk management), etc. This apply to MdM program in all locations and may be enlarged to other base of intervention.

 Essential duties and responsibilities.

Team management

• Organize weekly/monthly work plan for the pharmacy team and submit to Medical coordinator
• Ensure that team members are conducting their job according to their JD.
• Conduct the performance appraisal of the field pharmacist and ensure each team member gets an appraisal from his/her own manager (contribute if needed).
• In collaboration with Fieldco Coordinators and field teams, ensure proper support and supervision of the performance of drug druggist/dispensers at field level.
• Participate on the recruitment process according to the needs.
• Participate in the discussions related to the revision of the HR structure linked to the Country Strategy
• Provide technical supervision of pharmacists and drug dispensers/druggist.
• Facilitate regular team meetings within the pharmacists/drug dispensers’ team as well as with other MDM health sectors.

Management of Pharmacy & Medical Stock 

• Ensure the proper stock management of items (consumables, drugs, medical material, nutrition products and kits), particular stock management, temperature, and cold chain at warehouse in MdM offices, with frequent visits to the field.
• Ensure the storage of drugs by donor.
• Ensure the storage conditions in the pharmacy store. Identify points for improvement and insure they are taken into account at budget definition stages as well as implemented in close coordination with logistic if needed.
• Ensure the proper elaboration and reception of international and national orders in coordination with logistics and the request and reception of donations.
• Ensure that monthly inventory is properly conducted at warehouse and satellite pharmacies.
• Ensure the management of expired/damaged drugs/items according to Ethiopia National protocols
• Ensure that field items supply is achieved according to the needs and on time.
• Ensure that field teams store and transport drugs/items from and to the field in proper conditions.
• Ensure the collection and evaluation of the monthly drugs/item’s consumption of the MdM Mission; and conduct the analysis of drugs/items needs.
• Ensure that pharmacists/field team anticipate the shortage of drugs/items, overstock and pre-expired and take the prompt action.
• Ensure that all needed supports to guarantee a proper stock management are fulfilled (stock cards, Saga stock)
• To prepare International and local medical orders including coordination with the logistics team, clearing agents, UN agencies etc
• To process Tax exception according to the national guidelines and share with logistics.
• For national purchase, ensure QUAMED recommendations are used and if needed ensure validation by HQ pharmacist.
• Ensure QUAMED assessment if needed are planned, budgeted and coordinated with other NGO.
• Manage alert on drugs/items quality and ensure incident report and action accordingly.
• Ensure suppliers assessment by MdM is updated and participate in the conduct of this assessment.

Technical support and capacity building

• Coach the pharmacists on pharmaceutical management at warehouse according to the MdM stock management procedures.
• Train and support program managers and pharmacists on stock management, consumption, drugs order request/receptions (national or international orders), donations from partners and reporting.
• Set-up capacity building plan for the team and identify specific training to empower the deputy pharmacist
• Support pharmacy staff in their daily duty and propose solution to them according to MdM process.    
• Train pharmacists on reporting.
• Support the Program and Logistics departments on Pharmacy orders.  
• Participate on organize drugs protocols training for MdM staff and/or RHB/woreda health workers; train and inform on drugs risks/quality prescription with a specific focus on antibiotics resistance (risk mitigation).
• Train and technically support the field teams, including Health Program managers and field coordinators on specific topics (e.g. MdM Drugs rules, Monthly medical consumption, Drugs inventory, Drugs storage, management of expired and/or damaged drugs, etc.) in order to increase the MdM team member capacities and knowledge;
• Perform regular (Monthly) field visits to control and supervise the pharmacy activities.
• Ensure that QUAMED local market assessment is used for purchase and planned for renewal when needed.
• Support the Program department in the preparation of Budget (financial plan and proposal, forecast and follow up with regards to pharmaceuticals and pharmacy needs).
• To work with HQ to introduce SAGA STOCK – software used by MdM for stock management.

Communication and reporting

• Ensure information is shared to field teams when alert on drugs/items quality
• Participate on internal meetings
• Communication with partners and participate on regular basis to inter-agency pharmacy meetings.
• Coordinate with UNICEF for nutrition commodities together with nutrition coordinator.
• Ensure the centralization of all drugs/item’s information available on the mission and contribute to report (monthly analysis and recommendations from the pharmacy) and submit medical Coordinator, medical team, HQ pharmacist referent and HQ health Advisor.
• Provide relevant data to MdM medical team (drugs and medical material supplies, etc.) and to and medical Coordinator (mission orders; request; financial forecast; payment, etc.);
• Contribute to donor reporting by providing relevant data and indicators.
• This list of activities is not exhaustive and may change depending on the context.

Job Requirement

Educational Qualification and Professional Experience

• Pharmacist/ Pharmacy master/doctor and registered License
• Diploma in tropical medicine / public health could be an added value.
• At least 2 years of work experience in Pharmacy in humanitarian settings / Emergency experience
• Experience in the health sector /International NGO experience is preferable.

Skills and qualities required.

• Experience in working with partners
• Ability to manage a team
• Ability to manage the priorities
• Ability to develop, organize and give trainings
• Experience in emergency humanitarian settings
• Patience
• Reactivity, anticipation, adaptation, flexibility
• Rigor, organizational capacities
• Ability to take initiative
• Ability to work in multicultural environment
• Ability to work in emergency context
• Excellent excel skills

Languages

• Fluent both English and Amharic language