Country Pharmacist at Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA)

ALIMA in Nigeria

• The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s northeast and the Lake Chad region is one of the most severe ongoing crises in the world, now entering in its ninth year and shows no sign of abating.
• In 2021, at least 8.7 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in the worst affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Up to 5.1 million people risk being critically food insecure during the next lean season (June - August 2021), a level similar to 2016-2017 when famine was looming over Borno State.
• Nigeria is now facing a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Borno, Adamawa, Yobe states have recorded new cases. Aid actors are intensifying actions and prevention measures.
• Despite challenges including humanitarian space reduction, aid workers had already provided around 5 million people with life-saving assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in 2020.
• Conflict, explosive remnants of war and insecurity have cut people off from their main means of livelihoods-farming and fishing. This causes major food insecurity in north-east Nigeria, which COVID-19’s effects on incomes have exacerbated: despite good crop yields, food insecurity is rising.
• Findings of the October2020 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis projected that about 5.1 million people in the three states will be food-insecure in the lean season between June and August 2021 – a 19% and 34% increase on the 2020 (after COVID-19 June CH Update) and 2019 figures respectively.
• According to the Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance Round 9, conducted in October 2020, the level of acute malnutrition increased in all the three states compared to 2019. Global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates of 10.7% were recorded in Borno, 7.5% in Adamawa and 13.6% in Yobe.
• According to the survey, several LGAs had high pockets of global acute malnutrition of above the 15% threshold (emergency phase), including Gubio, Magumeri, Mobbar and Bayo in Borno State and all LGAs in northern Yobe. Movement restrictions and insecurity continue to hamper the ability of IDPs, returnees and the host communities to access basic services, livelihoods, and land for farming and grazing. This means that more people will rely on humanitarian aid to survive in 2021.
• In 2017, ALIMA continued to implement projects in Muna Garage in Jere LGA, where ALIMA performs general consultations for children under 5 and provides Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) to pregnant and lactating women (antenatal and postnatal consultations).
• An Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Program (OTP) is also available for children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the clinic, where women and caretakers are trained to screen their children for malnutrition using the MUAC tape.
• In Maiduguri MC, where ALIMA is working in partnership with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Center (ITFC) manages children under 5 suffering from SAM with medical complications in a 50-bed capacity building.
• In December 2020, ALIMA conducted a needs assessment survey in the north of Yobe where a high level of acute malnutrition was recorded by nutrition sector. The results of this survey prompted ALIMA to open a nutrition and health project covering the Kasasuwa LGA, one of the most affected LGAs and where there was a gap. This project started in May 2021 and fund by ECHO aim to support Karasuwa health facilities and improve access to nutrition and health services including pediatrics healthcare and reproductive health.
• ALIMA also support COVID-19 vaccination in Borno and Yobe with focus on most vulnerables.
• In parallel ALIMA is opening an emergency nutrition project in Katsina state and is present is Owo state since 2018 for Lassa fever response and research.

Post Location

• In Nigeria, ALIMA is running four health and nutrition projects in Borno State (Maiduguri/Jere), Yobe state ( Damaturu/Karasuwa/Yousufari) , Katsina ( Kaita) and Research and Lassa fever response in Ondo State (Owo)> ALIMA’s teams in Nigeria represent about 25 expatriates and 150 national staff.

Protection Of Beneficiairies And Community Members

• Level 3: As part of his/her duties, the job holder will visit programs and come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults.
• Therefore, a criminal record check or a certificate of good conduct will be required. In situations where the impossibility of providing a criminal record or a certificate of good conduct is found, a declaration of honor will be requested.

Mission & Objectives

• Guide and train the country pharmacy to Coordinate, deploy and supervise all pharmacy related activities in the Mission, according to ALIMA standards and values, the Medical Coordinator instructions, national and international laws and regulations, in order to ensure the quality and proper organization of medical procurement processes, procedures and protocols
• The proper management of project medical stocks and, in collaboration with the Medical Coordinator
• The proper use of medicines and medical equipment.
• Participate in the relocation of the central pharmacy

Tasks & Responsabilities
To the relocation of the Central Pharmacy:

• Participate in the different process of the relocating the country pharmacy from Maiduguri to Abuja
• Implement with the country pharmacy, all process will be needed to have a better supervision of project pharmacy from Abuja
• Participate in the definition of the new set up of the management of the central pharmacy in Abuja and also the organization of supply project pharmacy

To the country's medical authorities:

• Support the country pharmacy in representing and defending ALIMA’s interests for any issue concerning pharmaceutical supply, in order to ensure stock procurement in the mission & projects while accomplishing national laws and regulations and following ALIMA protocols.
• Ensure that there is a close follow up of the National Process for drugs importation (NAFDAC list) and Support the Medical Coordinator in order to validate a national pharmacy at Abuja or Lagos to ensure good quality of local medical purchases for those items under NAFDAC control and prohibited for importation.
• Ensure that there is a closely Monitoring by the country pharmacy to the national drug supply, especially for projects in which ALIMA works closely with the Ministry of Health.
• Support and participate in all drug and medical material supply processes and facilitate correct stock management and transport/storage procedures, in order to ensure the availability of stock in all projects avoiding expiries/overstocks and stock-outs and ensuring its overall efficiency and rationalization.

Data collection and analysis:

• Support the country pharmacy in the collecting and analysing stock indicators according to physical records and logistic software (stock levels, pre-stock-outs, over-stocking, donations, expired products, not moving stock disposal) across different projects and together with the medical coordinator take corrective decisions when necessary according to ALIMA procedures and national legislation (specifically in case of expired drugs).
• Ensure that the country pharmacy is the Responsible for follow-up of loans/donations
• Guide the country pharmacy in Collection, verification and analysis of monthly consumption statistics and data and other data and indicators for reporting (monthly, quarterly).
• Participate in this different task to be sure that the country pharmacy knows and do it properly
• Train the country pharmacy on how to do country pharmacy report for donor

Management of drugs and medical equipment:

• Contribute on the technical support needed by the country pharmacy on all issues related to pharmaceutical information, drug use (protocols and rational use), side effect management, compliance issues, etc.
• Carries out with the country pharmacy technical visits to project sites to ensure the proper organization of activities and the management of the pharmacies of the various projects.
• Support the country pharmacy in the running of the pharmacies across the mission, ensuring the proper implementation of and proper use according to ALIMA protocols of pharmacy management and monitoring tools (daily monitoring sheets, order forms,), procedures and dispensing practices to be followed by all staff, in order to ensure the quality of the service given to the population
• Ensures that the country pharmacy running all inventories of drugs and medical devices exist and are updated, and participates in reporting according to ALIMA guidelines (Sitrep, medical statistical reports, etc.)
• Be sure that the country pharmacy implements a appropriate storage and management of stocks of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, in accordance with national legislation, and allow the traceability of these products in particular.
• Participate in the reporting on the use of drugs and medical devices distributed according to protocols, reporting anomalies.

Medical supplies and orders:

• Ensure that the country pharmacy follow the QUAMED process for the validation of National Pharmacies.
• Be sure that the country pharmacy follows the procurement procedure and takes any necessary corrective measures, maintains regular communication with medical, logistical, HR and financial departments regarding the management of medical supplies and pharmacy.

Human Resources Management:

• Help the country pharmacy to plan and supervise, in close coordination with the Pharmacy Manager, HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training/induction, evaluation, potential detection, development and communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required.
• In case of integration of medical stock under the supply, this includes providing support to Supply Log in this capacity to ensure the medical stock and pharmacy management according to recommended guide lines/procedures
• Ensure that the country pharmacy the work of pharmacy teams in the various projects is well organized according to program requirements.

Experience and Skills
Educational:

• Essential Pharmacy degree / Pharmacy management diploma
• Registered Pharmacist
• Essential two years’ experience in pharmacy management in hospital
• Previous experience with ALIMA is mandatory or other NGO’s in developing countries is desirable

Required Skills:

• Advanced knowledge in Pharmacy Management and “Isystock”  
• Essential computer literacy (Excel, Word, Outlook and Internet)
• Well organized with good negotiation and communication skill
• Ability to work as part of a team, a part of multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team, in emergency and under pressure, to manage stress easily and result oriented
• Strong in term of training  
• Can work and create teamwork, flexible, and committed to the assigned position
• Interest in and commitment to ALIMA’s activities, enthusiasm to represent the organization to others, to travel to different regions of Nigeria
• Languages: English compulsory, others are an asset.

Salary
Depending on experience.

ALIMA pays for:

• Travel costs between the expatriate’s country of origin and the mission location.
• Accommodation costs.
• Medical cover from the first day of the contract to a month after the date of departure from the mission country for the employee.
• Evacuation of the employee.