Country Pharmacist – IRC – The International Rescue Committee

Job Description

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Health Coordinator, the Country Pharmacist shall be the technical lead for pharmacy management responsible for quality assurance of all pharmaceutical products in the country programs and act as the bridge between Supply Chain and the Health Unit. With the support of SHC, S/he will participate in the definition of strategies for supply chain management, distribution and use of medical products and donations in the programs in line with the health department’s recommendations and policies whilst ensuring national regulations are followed. This position is the link with external actors/partners concerning pharmaceutical issues.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Pharmaceuticals and Supplies Management

– Oversee the medical drugs and supplies quantification and ensures that all procured items are in the CP Essential Drug List. S/he will ensure drug consumption data is collected at health facilities, aggregated, analyzed, and used for forecasting needs of the program. – With the support of Country SC team, monitors the availability of medical products to avoid stock-outs and financial losses generated by expired items – Collaborates with the Health Manager/s to define stock security levels in IRC’s directly implemented facilities. – In close collaboration with the Warehouse officer(s), develops stock levels alert (based on an average monthly consumption AMC and morbidity data); – Gather stock indicators, analyze them, and discuss with the Senior Health Coordinator, / Supply Chain coordinator to avoid stock-outs and the financial losses generated by expired items. – Provides input for international and local orders draws up the first draft of orders with the Ware-house officers and Health Managers. SHC reviews the parameters involved in replenishing stock, finalizes orders based on consumption and future needs arising from the developments in the field – Participates in defining strategies for supply, management, distribution, and use of medical products in line with IRC’s recommendations and policies. – Under the supervision of the Health Coordinator and in collaboration with Health and Supply Chain Managers, support development/use of new pharmaceutical stock management systems and software. – Participates in implementing the pharmaceutical supply chain standard operating procedures. – – Applies Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) for pharmaceutical products at storage level, and Good Dispensing Practices in end user units.

KEY DELIVERABLES

Documentation verification

– Conduct systematic checks of all medical goods purchased locally and for direct shipments, and control their details correspond to the requested specifications and the received documentation (Certificate of Analyses)

Transportation and Storage

– Ensure transportation of medical goods (including any dangerous goods and cold chain) is done. – Conduct GDP self-assessment for the central warehouses with the support of SC team. – Handle cold chain products according to the recommendations of the manufacturer and ensure that cold chain equipment is working properly, and that daily temperature monitoring of cold chain items is in place. – Report to SHC any cold chain breach (fills the cold chain breech report), who will advise on releasing the products Ensure that appropriate storage conditions are in place for medicines (including dangerous goods products) and advise any need for improvements. – Ensure controlled drugs are managed according to national regulation. – Ensure stock rotation according to FIFO (First in First Out) and FEFO (First Expiry First Out) – Support in conducting monthly and annual physical stock count.

Quality assurance of commodities

– Ensure with the support of HQ and county SC team that all offered donations by any partner or others follow the IRC Quality Assurance Policy and IRC Donations SOP – Follow-up any claim reports from the field concerning quality (IRC Complaint Form) with the GSC Pharma QA Manager and maintains a file with all claims. – Investigate and put in quarantine any medical product that has been identified as suspect

Disposal and Returns

– Ensure disposal of health care products is done according with national regulations/or IRC Waste Disposal SOP, and that a disposal file is maintained. – Support to handle any claim or batch recall according to WHO GDP guidelines (IRC batch recall SOP) – Ensure to organize return or exchange of rejected goods with the SCC. – Manages medical stock data and indicators, analyzes, and interprets performance to support the necessary programmatic decisions or course corrections in collaboration with Health and Supply Chain staff (consumption, stock levels, stock-outs, pre-stock-outs, over-stocking, donations, expired products, disposal, etc.). – Supervise the store release, distribution, and transfer of all stock to the required field site locations – Provides support to procurement and supplier management, this includes In coordination with the GSC Pharma QA Manager, maintain, update and file the CP Pharma Database (list of validated suppliers). Ensure that all requested items by the health team are compliant with the CP EDL and flags any discrepancy. – In coordination with the GSC Pharma QA Manager, support in market assessment for preselection of products and suppliers and organizes visits of suppliers.

Technical Support and Capacity Building

– Provide support supervision and provide technical guidance to the pharmacists and dispensers at field sites to ensure proper management and reporting of medical drugs and supplies and ensure a quality-assurance system is incorporated into the health facilities and medical stores’. Support to provide continuous Pharma training on the IRC Pharma SOP’s and GDPs – Support to conduct regular Country Program-Drug Management Committee meeting. – Manages medical stock data and indicators, analyzes and interprets performance to support the necessary programmatic decisions or course corrections in collaboration with Health and Supply Chain staff (consumption, stock levels, stock-outs, pre-stock-outs, over-stocking, donations, expired products, disposal, etc.); – Provides support to procurement and supplier management, this includes: – In coordination with the GSC Pharma QA Manager, maintain, update, and file the CP Pharma Database (list of validated suppliers) – Provide the purchasing team with a list of validated suppliers approved and validated by the GSC Pharma QA Manager (ensures that all local purchases are done via prequalified suppliers) – Ensure that all requested items by the health team are compliant with the CP EDL and flags any discrepancy. If non-standard items are requested, asks the Health Coordinator to get the green-light from HQ before proceeding with the order – In coordination with the GSC Pharma QA Manager, perform market assessment for preselection of products and suppliers and organizes visits of suppliers – Supervise the store release, distribution, and transfer of all stock to the required field site locations. – Perform other duties as assigned by the Supervisor.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position Directly Reports to: Senior Health Coordinator – Technical Referent: HU Pharmacy Advisors/GSC Senior Manager, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Senior supply chain coordinator

Other Internal Contacts: Health Managers, Supply Chain and Warehouse Managers, Health Officers, clinical teams.

Update

Qualifications

– Education: Pharmacy degree or equivalent in pharmacy from a recognized institution with an additional training in supply chain management and must be enrolled by the pharmacy and poisons board of Kenya. – Work Experience: 4-5 years’ experience in managing Humanitarian health commodities preferably those with an experience in handling large volumes of health commodities in the humanitarian setups is preferable. – Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: – Demonstrated success as a humanitarian health commodity manager. – Good collaborator and influencer with effective interpersonal and analytical skills of working seamlessly across cultures, organizational units. – Broad knowledge and experience in supply chain planning, Forecasting and quantification of health commodities. – Excellent in computer MS-Excel, Word and PowerPoint. – Good analytical and negotiation skills – Excellent skills in conducting warehouse self-assessment and generation of CAPAs – Able to work effectively in a highly matrixed structure

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowance.

Kenyan nationals are encouraged to apply. International allowances are not available for this position. Salary and employee benefits are compliant to the Kenyan NGO Sector.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Disclaimer:

Please take note that International Rescue Committee (IRC) does not ask for any fees in connection with its recruitment processes.