Pharmacist Officer - Misrata

Background/IRC Summary:

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. The IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC is working in Libya since August 2016, targeting the most vulnerable non-displaced, IDPs, refugees and migrants in hard-to-reach areas. According to assessments, healthcare is considered the priority need in Libya, most urgently in terms of quality health staff, medicines and supplies. There are significant gaps in the response, according to Libya’s Ministry of Health (MoH), the Libyan Red Crescent, UN agencies, and international NGOs. IRC’s team in Libya has the specific goal of reaching those in the hardest hit areas to beneficiaries of all ages and gender, both Libyans and third-country nationals. The emergency health activities will be foscused on supporting essential primary health care. The reproductive health activities will specifically target women and girls. IRC’s emergency team is engaging local communities and empowering them to ensure they have equal access to health services while mobilizing outreach medical teams to maintain proximity to the people in need.

Job Overview/Summary:

The pharmacist officer is a new position and will report directly to supply chain coordinator. S/he will act as the focal person for logistical activities related to health department in Tripoli /Misrata/Sirte and Benghazi, this include overseeing Purchase Requests (PRs), stocks, quality of purchased items, controlling consumption, replenishment, communicating with logistical department and bookkeeping. Also, the pharmacist officer will play an important role in drafting reporting about the situation of the stock consumption, ongoing orders. S/he will be the focal person with the authorities regarding pharmaceutical issues.

Major Responsibilities:

·Participates in the definition of strategies for supply, management, distribution and use of medical products in the mission, in line with the medical department’s recommendations and policies

·Develops familiarity with the Ministry of Health’s regulations on importation and management of drugs and shares his/her knowledge with the Supply Chain Coordinator/ Medical procurement officer and Health Manager.

·Act as the link with external actors concerning pharmaceutical issues.

·Ensures respect for Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) for Pharmaceutical Products at coordination/project stock level, whether centralised or decentralised

·Ensures respect for GDPs for Pharmaceutical Products and good dispensing practices in end user units

·Reports directly to procurement officer and supply chain coordinator.

·Work closely with the health team and supply chain coordinator to determine alternatives to critical stock shortages and assist with determining and implementing therapeutic substitutions

·Follow up the ongoing international orders and ensure the closure of each file

·Follow up on international payment and preparing monthly report about the ongoing order

·Prepare a monthly report regarding consumption in all location Tripoli, Misrata, sirte and Benghazi

·Follow up on Pit updates and make sure data are entered correctly

·Review non-medication supplies to identify alternative sources of supply and cost management

Main Activities:

Technical support to supply chain and health teams on the mission:

-Technical support to IRC staff on good storage/distribution practices

-Supervises the stock/pharmacy management and raise issues or recommendation to the SCC and medical procurement officer

-Maintains a global overview of medical stocks in the mission

-Gathers stock indicators, analyze them and pass them on to the supply chain coordinator / discusses with the Medical procurement officer the decisions/interventions required (stock levels, stock-outs, pre-stock-outs, over-stocking, donations, expired products, disposal)

-Analyses the drugs real consumption in relation to protocols in force and the project’s medical activities/fields

-Provides input for international orders: draws up the first draft of orders / with the medical teams, reviews the parameters involved in replenishing stock, reviews the projects’ standard list, finalizes orders based on consumption and forecasting arising from the developments in medical activities

-Towards the health team, acts as the main reference point (working relationships) for all issues relating to medical stock management at coordination and project level

-Conduct staff training when necessary

Ensures respect for GDPs:

-Defines the pre-requisites and qualifications required for people working in a medical stock

-Ensures that all persons in the supply team are aware of the specificities of the medical items they handle by raising their awareness/coaching/training them on quality, sensitivity, specificity and the various products' storage conditions

-Defines the preparation techniques to be put into place (stock management rules)

-Conducts regular audits on respect for GDPs: the layout of the warehouse, storage, product arrangement, reception, distribution and transport. Checks with the Supply Coordinator/medical procurement officer that recommendations are applied

-Gives specific directives and/or participates in stock reception and physical stock counts according to needs and necessities

Is the focal person representing IRC towards the authorities on pharmaceuticals issues, and ensure a coherent and consistent communication system with authorities.

-To participate to all meetings related to pharmacy regulations organized by CAR authorities (DPM) and other agencies (if invited) and negotiate drug importation on behalf of all IRC missions, and inform IRC coordination through a written meeting report.

Staff management

The pharmacist Officer will not be line managing any internal staff.

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional 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, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:Procurement officer

Working Environment:This position will be based in Misrata IRC office, Libya with possible visits to Tripoli, Sirte, Benghazi and Tunisia.