Locum Pharmacy Technician at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

Main purpose of the Position:

• Support the project pharmacy activities under the leadership of Pharmacy Activities Manager of the project and according to MSF policies and protocols, in order to contribute in the guarantee of the proper management and distribution of medicines and medical consumables and equipment.
• Provide pharmacy technical support to chronic disease activities as per the laid down protocols in order to ensure consistent and timely delivery of the safe, efficacious and qualitative chronic supplies to chronic sites department under the direction of the Pharmacy activities manager enforcing internal control measures in collaboration with the MHAM and the facility in charges.

Tasks & Responsibilities include but not limited to:

Order Management

• Support the chronic disease teams in doing proper quantification and place monthly orders for the chronic disease clinics to ensure uninterrupted supply to the medical ward allowing nurses focus on patient care
• Ensure timely processing and delivery of chronic disease clinics orders according to the supply calendar in liason with the store keeper
• Upon order reception, report any discrepancies noted either as an over-supply, under-supply, wrong items and communicates to the Pharmacy Activities Manager for immediate action.
• Ensures that all ordering documents at chronic disease clinics are promptly and properly filled and filed reporting any discrepancy to the MHAM for action and the Pharmacy activitiy manager for follow-up.
• Responsible together with the MHAM in quantitification of medication needs for the various models of DSDM on a weekly basis.
• Offer technical support and mentorship to CHVs responsible for implementing the various models of DSDM
• Support the implementation of sickle cell disease program under the direction of the PAM in close colloboration with the MHAM.
• Ensure that all the medical needs for outreaches and mobile clinics approaches are promptly order and accounted for reporting any discrepancy to the MHAM.
• Reviews all chronic disease orders before submission to MHAM for validation and to the central pharmacy for processing according to the supply SOP.

Stock Management

• Responsible for monitoring and providing monthly stock status, MOS, ruptures ,risk of ruptures and 6 months expiry for MSF supported items at the chronic disease clinics in consultation with the MHAM providing visibility of MOH chronic disease medicines
• Ensure that the Chronic disease clinics stock cards are up to date: deliveries (In) and Inventories noting any discrepancy and reporting to the MHAM for intervention and the Pharmacy Activity Manager for follow-up
• Ensure proper maintenance, organization and labeled of the chronic disease medication cabinets as items arrive and are dispatched as outlined in the Msf guidelines in collaboration with chronic disease clinic teams
• Ensure the documentation and removal all expired/recalled pharmaceuticals ,medical consumables and lab items from the shelves and return to pharmacy warehouse for appropriate destruction .
• Ensure implementation of FEFO in liaison with with the MOH facility in charges to ensure MOH slowly takes responsibility for chronic disease medication provision and does not overly depend on the organization in collaboration with the sub-county pharmacy coordinator .
• Support rational use of medicines and medical consumables by lobbying for consumption of sleeping stocks of medicines and medical consumables available in MOH medical store at chronic sites collaboration facility in charges.
• Report all anticipated stock shortages of Msff supported items in chronic disease to the MHAM in time to mitigate stock then facilitate replenishment in time according to supply SOP to ensure patients care is uninterrupted.
• Ensure that daily monitoring of temperatures of refrigerators located at the chronic disease clinics prescribed tools and that the Cold chains equipment are used only for the intended purposes reporting any misuse to the MHAM ,Facility in charge for intervention and the Pharmacy Activity manager for follow-up.
• Conduct weekly inventories for chronic disease medications reporting any discrepancies to MHAM for intervention and to Pharmacy Manager for follow-up-Internal control process.
• Support monthly inventory in preparation for the monthly orders.
• Actively participate in the scheduled global inventory for central pharmacy
• Ensures proper management and accountability of narcotics as per MSF guidelines at chronic disease clinics .
• Support MOH store keeper(s) ensuring good store keeping practices in the MSF central pharmacy.
• Ensure good practices on pharmaceutical waste are implemented eg: insulin syringes, glucometer strips, pricks disposal ( Note : DM patients on insulin return with their used syringes for disposal at the facility)

Data Management

• Ensure all chronic disease prescriptions(Quantities dispensed) are entered in redcap on a daily basis.
• Conduct weekly commodity data quality checks for chronic as well as sickle cell medications in both chronic disease sites reporting any data quality queries to the MHAM to intervene and to the Pharmacy Activity manager to follow-up
• Ensure concordance of all chronic disease commodities documentation.
• Support internal Control activities touching on chronic disease commodities tracking and providing all requared data in collaboration with the data clark.
• Assist the Pharmacy Activities Manager in the analysis of consumption trends on a monthly basis for discussion with the MHAM on notable changes (if any) comparing real consumption
• Responsible for providing up to date MOH stock status of chronic medication and supplies to the chronic teams in collaboration with the sub-county pharmacy coordinator.

Clinical pharmacy support

• Provide medication related technical information to the chronic clinical teams in consultation with the MHAM under the direction with the pharmacy activity manager.
• Attend the chronic disease clinical meetings and case discussions when called providing feedback to the pharmacy activity manager.
• Support the implementation of pharmacovigilance monitoring and OJT t in collaboration with pharmacy activity manager reporting any cases suspected on a monthly basis
• Support the rational prescription monitoring reporting any medication errors to MHAM for intervention and the pharmacy activity manager for follow-up.
• Support the provision of patient therapeutic education to all new chronic disease patients and sickle cell patients and patients being switched on a new molecule advising on side effects,adverse drug reaction,self care and proper storage of the medication ensuring that all chronic patient are properly capacited implementing patient centered pharmaceutical care.
• Respond to concerns and provide the technical support to CHVs in consultation with the Community engagement manager, MHAM reporting to the pharmacy activities manager for follow-up.
• Assess and address chronic patients’ adherance issues and concerns in collaboration with MHPSS and the CEM.
• Support patients’ feedback activities in collaboration with MHPSS and the CEM reporting on a monthly to the pharmacy activities manager for escalation and reporting as the case may be

Other duties as assigned

• Due to the nature of MSF, other duties and/or tasks may be requested in line with the position’s profile. May be requested to work on public Holidays and at weekend.
• Participate in emergency response as needed for example cholera,violence
• Coverage of the hospital based pharmtech during offs and leaves
• Obligations
• To report on any aspects that threatens or favours the program.
• To abide by the MSF Staff regulations and MSF Charter.
• To maintain confidentiality with respect to MSF’s operational and patient activities and internal information pertaining to budgets, strategies, etc.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education

• Essential: Qualified Pharmaceutical technologist enrolled by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.

Knowledge & Experience

• Essential: Experience collaborating with with local pharmacy systems (MOH and Private) is an asset.
• Essential: Demonstrable Experience in supervising and training others in a team setting
• Excellent Written and Verbal Communication Skills
• Desirable :Proficiency in MS Office use.(Word,Excel)