Pharmaceutical Officer Perú – Ecuador

Requisition ID: req49625

Job Title: Pharmaceutical Officer Perú – Ecuador

Sector: Supply Chain

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: Not Applicable

Location: Lima, Peru

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  WORK/ABSTRACT:

As a technical leader in pharmaceutical management, the Pharmaceutical Officer will be responsible for the quality assurance of all pharmaceutical products and their respective processes in the Ecuador and Peru programs; and will act as a bridge between the Supply Chain and the Health Program.He/she will participate in defining strategies for Supply Chain management, distribution and use of medical products and donations in the programs in line with local health program recommendations and policies, while ensuring that national regulations are followed. This position is the liaison with external stakeholders/partners regarding pharmaceutical issues.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Management ofpharmaceuticalproductsand supplies:

• Oversee the quantification of medicines and medical supplies for IRC field activities and partners and ensure that all items procured are on the countries’ Essential Drug List (EDL) in Ecuador and Peru.
• Ensure that drug consumption data is collected from IRC health centers, their partners, and service providers, aggregated, analyzed, and used to forecast program needs.
• Oversees the availability of medical products to avoid stock-outs and financial losses generated by expired items; Collaborates with Health Coordinators to define stock safety levels in warehouse and purchasing suppliers in facilities directly implemented by IRC and/or its partners.
• In close collaboration with the IRC Supply Chain Officer(s) and implementing partners, develops stock level alerts (based on average monthly AMC consumption and morbidity data); collects stock indicators, analyzes, and discusses them with the Health Coordinator/Supply Chain Coordinator to avoid stock-outs and financial losses generated by expired items.
• Provides input for international and local purchase requisitions elaborates the first draft of orders with the Health Coordinator / Partner Focal Points, reviewing the parameters involved in stock replenishment, finalizing orders based on consumption and future needs arising from developments in the field.
• Participates in defining strategies for the supply, management, distribution, and use of medical.
• products in accordance with IRC recommendations and policies; in collaboration with Health and Supply Chain Coordinators/Managers, support the development/use of new pharmaceutical stock management systems and software.
• Participates in the implementation of pharmaceutical supply chain standard operating procedures adapted to the contexts in each country where IRC and its partners carry out project implementation.

Applies Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) for pharmaceutical products at the storage level, and Good Dispensing Practices in end-user units for the IRC and its partners. These include:

Supervision and administration of pharmacy (Tumbes – Piura):

• Periodically supervise the quality of the delivery of pharmaceutical products to the end user and guarantee their proper conservation in the territory, evaluating the stress level of the medicines and taking corrective measures as necessary.
• Manage and keep the pharmacy’s inventory up to date, recording incoming and outgoing products, as well as performing regular counts to ensure accuracy of records and provide periodic reports on inventory status to the Health Coordination.
• Ensure good storage practices for medicines and medical supplies and their distribution to health teams in the field.
• Place inventory replenishment orders in a timely manner and based on demand and current stock.
• Verify the quality and condition of the pharmaceutical products received, ensuring compliance with the IRC’s and national standards and regulations.

Represent IRC in dealings with the MoH’s General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs (DIGEMID) or equivalent regulatory bodies at the regional level, ensuring proper coordination and compliance with the relevant regulatory requirements.

Verification of documentation:

• Perform systematic controls of all medical products purchased locally and for direct shipments, and control that their data correspond to the specifications requested and the documentation received.
• Check the conformity of the goods received with the PO (Purchase Order), the PL (Packing List) (strength, origin, manufacturer, lot number) and inventory movements of the IRC and partners.

Transportation and storage:

• Ensures that the transportation of medical products (including hazardous products and the cold chain) is carried out properly and in accordance with Ecuadorian and Peruvian regulations.
• Conduct Good Distribution Practices self-assessment for central warehouses with the assistance of the Global Supply Chain Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Snr. Manager for and follow up on the implementation of Corrective Action Preventive Action (CAPA).

• Ensure that the handling of cold chain products is in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Ensures that cold chain equipment is functioning properly, and that daily temperature monitoring of cold chain items is in place.
• Informs the Global Supply Chain Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager of any cold chain breaches (diligence of cold chain breach report), who will advise on product release.
• Ensures that adequate storage conditions exist for medicines (including dangerous goods products) and advises on any need for improvement.
• Ensures that controlled drugs are handled in accordance with each country’s nationalregulations.
• Ensures stock rotation according to FIFO (First in First Out) and FEFO (First Expiry First Out).
• Supports cyclic, project closing and annual physical stock counts.

Commodity quality assurance:

• Ensure, with the support of headquarters, that all donations offered by any partner or others comply with the IRC Quality Assurance Policy and the IRC Donation SOP.
• Follow up any claim reports from the field concerning quality (IRC Complaint Form) with the
• Global Supply Chain Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Snr. Manager and maintain a file of all complaints.
• Investigate and quarantine any medical products that have been identified as suspicious, meaning they may be counterfeit, unapproved or potentially dangerous.

Disposal and returns:

• Ensure that the disposal of healthcare products is carried out in accordance with national regulations and/or the IRC waste disposal SOP, and that a disposal file is maintained.
• Manage, with the support of the Pharmaceutical Global Supply Chain Quality Assurance Snr. Manager, any claims or batch recalls in accordance with WHO GDP guidelines.
• (IRC batch recall SOP).
• Ensures full traceability of the medical products journey through all stakeholders in the supply chain and is responsible for Batch recalls.
• Arrange for the return or exchange of rejected products with the Supply ChainCoordinator.
• Manage medical stock data and indicators, analyze, and interpret performance to support necessary programmatic decisions or course corrections in collaboration with IRC Health and Supply Chain staff and partners (consumption, stock levels, stock-outs, pre-stock-outs, overstocks, donations, expired products, disposal, etc.).

Provides procurement and supplier management support, this includes:

• In coordination with the GSC Pharma QA Snr. Manager, maintain, update, and archive the Ecuadorian and Peruvian pharmacy database (list of validated suppliers).
• In coordination with the Health Coordination/Partner Focal Points, Supply Chain and the GSC Pharma QA Snr. Manager, support, contribute to and manage the pre-qualification processes for drugs and medical supplies, following the quality policies established by the IRC. In coordination with the GSC Pharma QA Snr. Manager, conduct pre-qualification of suppliers and arrange supplier visits.
• Provide the procurement team with a list of validated suppliers approved and validated by the GSC Pharma QA Snr. Manager (ensures that all local purchases are made through pre-qualified suppliers).

• Ensure that all items requested by the health team comply with the Ecuadorian and Peruvian EDL and mark any discrepancies. If non-standard items are requested, ask the Health Coordinator to get the green light from HQ before proceeding with the orders.

Oversee the release, distribution, and transfer of all stock to required field site locations. Technical support and capacity building to the IRC and its partners

• Provide technical oversight to IRC Supply Chain and Health teams and partners in the field. offices to ensure proper management and reporting of drugs and supplies and ensure that a quality assurance system is incorporated into the health facilities and medical stores.
• Provide guidance and technical training to IRC health program officers and implementing partners in Ecuador and Peru on all aspects of drug supply management: continuously assess staff/supplier needs, identify gaps, and adapt plans/activities to respond to gaps as they arise, promoting good pharmaceutical storage and distribution practices.
• Provide ongoing pharmaceutical training for IRC Supply Chain and Health Unit staff and partners on IRC Global pharma SOPs, donor policies and GDPs.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS

• Professional degree in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, or related careers.
• 2 years of experience in pharmaceutical quality assurance, pharmacy or drugstore management, technical management of medicines, among others.
• Experience in collaborative work and team training in quality management.
• Strong organizational performance skills, refers to the ability to interact effectively with international and national staff.
• Intermediate level of oral and written English (Mandatory).
• High level of oral and written Spanish.
• Advanced handling of Microsoft office tools.
• Demonstrate communication skills to different audiences.
• Understanding of ethical procurement procedures, and compliance with donor regulations for pharmacy is desirable.
• Has demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action so as not to delay program activities.
• He is passionate about NGO work and has a positive mindset with a “make it happen and work as a team” attitude.
• 60% of trips to field offices.
• Have a university degree (pharmaceutical chemist) with a valid signature for medication requirements.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

• Position Reports directly to: Supply Chain Coordinator
  
• Technical reference: HU Pharmacy Advisors/GSC Senior Manager, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Other internal contacts: Health managers, supply chain and warehouse coordinator, health officers, medical teams, etc.
• Other external contacts: Other local NGOs and international NGOs, suppliers.
• Live in the city of Tumbes or Piura, or have the possibility of moving to one of these provinces.