Technical Officer – Essential Drugs and Medicines

Details

Mission and objectives

The overall mandate of the WHO Iraq- UHC/Health Systems & Life Course team is to strengthen health systems in Iraq in order to make progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The Essential Drugs and Other Medicines (EDM) technical officer within the country team of UHC/Health Systems & Life Course contributes to two flagship priority areas of work in Iraq 1) improved access to essential medicines for UHC and 2) building national capacities for prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance. The main objective of the programme is to promote policies, build health system capacities and provide evidence-based guidance to Iraqi Ministry of Health, partners, and in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to improve access and promote rational use of safe, efficacious, quality, and affordable essential drugs and other medicines.

Context

The overall mandate of the WHO Iraq- UHC/Health Systems & Life Course team is to strengthen health systems in Iraq in order to make progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The Essential Drugs and Other Medicines (EDM) technical officer within the country team of UHC/Health Systems & Life Course contributes to two flagship priority areas of work in Iraq 1) improved access to essential medicines for UHC and 2) building national capacities for prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance. The main objective of the programme is to promote policies, build health system capacities and provide evidence-based guidance to Iraqi Ministry of Health, partners, and in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to improve access and promote rational use of safe, efficacious, quality, and affordable essential drugs and other medicines.

Task description

Advocate and successfully influence the development of essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies and programmes that promote enhanced access to quality assured pharmaceutical products within the context of achieving universal coverage in essential services, achieving results such as:
1- Advice to the Ministry of Health on the formulation of comprehensive national drug policies and overall national master plans for policy implementation. Definition, revision, and implementation of the essential drug list in agreement and collaboration with all stakeholders. Technical advice on various areas comprising the components of national drug policy such as Drug selection, Drug supply, Drug Production, Drug Use, Drug Quality assurance and research: Development of guidelines for operational research in the area of drug use. Assessment of the national drug quality assurance system and recommending a plan for its improvement. Recommendations to improve health technologies and pharmaceuticals, including Health Technology Assessment (HTA), laboratory services, etc. Development of plans to improve access to quality essential medicine, addressing the major challenges in this area. Engagement with partners and government representatives to acquire a consensus on priorities for improving access to essential medicine.
2- Oversee and coordinate the implementation of programme activities, achieving results such as: Coordination of pharmaceutical and logistic staff for implementation of pharmaceutical supplychain activities (storage, distribution, reporting, compliance with quality requirements). Counselling patients upon drug dispensing on the proper use of the medications, their adverse reactions, and precautions for use and storage instructions. Establishment and strengthening of Emergency Medical Supplies and supervision of the rationale procurement, supply, storage and distribution of emergency medical supplies with WHO interventions.
3- Manage awareness campaigns, communication and training activities, achieving results such as: Identification of capacity building needs to strengthen national expertise in management medicine supply management; quality control; storage; dispensing; prescription and use of medicines. Planning and organisation of awareness and promotion campaigns aiming at enhancing the pharmaco-vigilance (PV) system, at promoting rational use of medicine and at developing good governance in medicine, in particular strengthening of National Drug/Medicines Authorities. Preparation of training material tailored to the specific needs. Assessment of impact of training and capacity building activities.