Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Specialist

Location :*Home-Based

Application Deadline :29-May-22 (Midnight New York, USA)

Additional Category :Management

Type of Contract :IPSA (Short-Term)

Post Level :IPSA-11

Languages Required : English

Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)01-Jul-2022

Duration of Initial Contract :Till 31.12.2022 with possible extension (up to 130 working days)

Background

The Procurement Support Services to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Project, Phase II (the Project) is one of the elements of the UNDP Health & Transparency Programme. The Project goals are aligned with the national priorities of the Ukrainian healthcare reform agenda and aim to strengthen the national healthcare system and thus improve the effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment of patients in Ukraine. Within the scope of the Project, UNDP supports the operational performance of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MoH) by providing cost-effective and timely medical procurement services in compliance with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures. In the long term UNDP aims to help the MoH to grow its professional capacity and procurement expertise. Ultimately, a system of effective supply chain management, properly trained personnel and efficient management processes conforming to international standards, alongside the principles of integrity, transparency, accountability and quality, to enable it to meet the healthcare needs of all Ukrainians should be established.

The procurement of medicines and medical devices by international agencies was initially legally mandated until the end of March 2019 and then prolonged first until March 2020 and eventually until March 2023. To strengthen the technical support to the MoH PSS Project as well as shape the future vision of its work in the area of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, UNDP seeks to hire a Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Specialist to support the implementation of the Project.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Procurement Specialist, with cross-functional coordination by Programme Manager (Health), the Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Specialist will provide advice on pharmaceutical requirements, standards, rules and regulations for ensuring effective procurement of quality assured drugs and commodities through UNDP Ukraine.

The incumbent will promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance to any kind of discriminatory and abusive behaviour, including sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Duties and Responsibilities

1) To support procurement process of the Project, the Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Specialist will:

• Monitor and analyse the market of pharmaceuticals and medical products, contribute to sourcing strategy for initiating procurement cases: search and analyse available suppliers and manufactures of the health products, focusing on quality, price and shelf life;
• Review technical specifications, and national/international regulatory requirements for health products to be included in tender documents pursuant to the corporate quality assurance requirements;
• Provide advice to the MoH on modern medicinal or medical devices nomenclature related to clinical management of patients and where necessary bring external expertise;
• Shape a vision of future development of the pharmaceutical market in Ukraine and provide it to the respective organisations and establishments upon request;
• Participate in evaluation of bids; assess the products proposed against the corporate quality assurance requirements and technical specifications, national and international standards and relative clauses of Ukrainian legislation;
• Verify the list of health products to be procured pursuant to the WHO Essential Medicines List and to national Essential Medicines List and treatment protocols; identify potentially outdated items and propose alternatives to MOH;
• Work with the available databases, such as countries’ state registers, medical agencies and prequalification lists;
• Participate in GDP (Good Distribution Practices) audits of warehouses distributing the supplied products;
• Participate in the products quality control at receipt and inventory when necessary;
• Monitor registration / re-registration of medicines and medical devices in Ukraine in accordance with the national legislation;
• Ensure the Project contributes to the promotion of gender equality by reaching, involving, and benefiting both women and men from diverse groups
• Ensure the collection of sex-disaggregated data on recipients of the procured health products;
• Support the procurement team in preparation of Procurement Action Plan and Quality Assurance Plan for health products;
• Provide input on pharmaceuticals and health products procurement, customs clearance, supply chain, storage, transportation and other technical issues according to national in international guidelines.

2) To provide strategic developement and capacity development function, the Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Specialist will:

• Conduct regular situational analysis and assessments on the country pharmaceutical sector;
• Provide strategic advice on the Ukrainian and foreign pharmaceutical markets trends and products;
• Prepare reports upon request related to pharmacological aspects;
• Prepare reports on different disease areas that serve as a recommendation for development of the medicinal nomenclature that is used in Ukraine for pharmacological management of diseases and conditions;
• Use the principles of gender-responsive language in all internal and external communications in line with the UNDP corporate standards;
• Participate in regular review meetings with the Project management and implementing partners;
• Provide in-house technical assistance and advise on pharmacological aspects to enhance capacity development of the MoH with its Secretariat and State Enterprise “Medychni Zakupivli Ukrayiny”;
• Liaise with stakeholders of procurement processes, including but not limited to, government representatives, regulatory authorities, suppliers, service providers, women’s and patients’ organizations, national and international consultants as may be needed;
• Provide other support and technical assistance on medicines and pharmaceutical products upon the request of the MOH to ensure adherence of the country essential medicines lists to the country treatment protocols and advise on possible alternatives based on available evidence;
• Promote a culture of gender equality and zero tolerance to any sexual misconduct in the team through leadership and personal example;
• Perform other duties as required by UNDP management.

Measurable outputs of the work assignment:

• Full and appropriate adherence to the UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures and Standard Operating Procedures, including UNDP’s Quality Assurance Policy during the implementation of the activities listed in the ToR for the position of a Pharmacist/Pharmaceutical Specialist;
• Results, experiences and lessons learned during implementation of Project activities documented;
• Reporting on and quality monitoring of activities completed.

Performance Indicators for evaluation of results:

• Respective sections of the annual work plan for the UNDP project is fully and timely implemented;
• Delivery allocated for current activities reached 100%;
• All supplied health products are compliant with UNDP’s Quality Assurance Policy (2018);
• Project and component activities are carried out in strict accordance with UNDP rules, policies and procedures.

Institutional Arrangement

The incumber will work under the direct supervision of the Senior Procurement Specialist, with cross-functional coordination by Programme Manager (Health).

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Pharmacoeconomics or related area is required. Bachelor’s Degree with 2 additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of Master’s Degree

Min. years of relevant work experience

Minimum 7 years (with Master’s Degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor’s Degree) of working experience and proven track record in conducting pharmaceutical market assessments, pharmaceutical and health product management or consulting, practical application of health products’ quality assurance and good distribution practices or other relevant areas is required.

Required skills

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Office, Excel) and data management software.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

-Prior experience of working in public procurement is an asset;

-Experience of working on similar positions with international organizations/projects, including UN organizations, will be considered as an advantage;

-Previous experience in international pharmacist networks or medical agencies would be a valuable asset;

Required Language(s)

Fluency in English is required, knowledge of Russian is an asset.

Professional Certificates

CIPS3 or above would be an advantage