Pharmacist / Druggist

Positive Action for Development (PAD) is an indigenous, non-governmental, non-profit, secular, and legally registered Ethiopian Civil Society Organization (Registration No. 2330). PAD is committed to promoting a just, compassionate, and inclusive society where all people can thrive. Guided by the values of optimism, integrity, kindness, excellence, and impactful action, PAD works to provide effective humanitarian and development support to communities in need.

Job Summary

The Pharmacist/Druggist is responsible for managing the procurement requests, storage, inventory, dispensing, and distribution of essential medicines and medical supplies to support the Mobile Health and Nutrition Team (MHNT). The role ensures accurate dispensing of medicines, provides patient counselling on prescribed treatments, monitors stock levels and expiry dates, and maintains proper pharmaceutical records and reports.

The position also involves ensuring medicine quality and patient safety, promoting rational medicine use, supporting uninterrupted pharmaceutical services during field deployments to IDP sites, and coordinating with the clinical team, logistics, procurement, and health programme staff. The Pharmacist/Druggist must comply with applicable Ethiopian pharmaceutical regulations, professional licensing requirements, PAD policies, and safeguarding standards

Professional Registration

Applicants must possess valid professional registration and a current practice license, as applicable to their qualification and authorized scope of practice under Ethiopian regulations. Candidates with a Diploma in Pharmacy must also hold valid CoC certification and perform duties within their authorized professional scope.

Required Skills and Competencies

Candidates must demonstrate the following competencies:

• Medicine dispensing and patient counselling: Ability to dispense medicines accurately and provide clear instructions on dosage, frequency, duration, administration, adherence, storage, precautions, and potential adverse effects.
• Pharmaceutical stock management: Competence in maintaining stock cards, bin cards, inventory registers, dispensing records, and consumption reports.
• Rational medicine use: Understanding of appropriate medicine use, approved treatment protocols, and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Medicine safety and quality assurance: Ability to monitor storage conditions, expiry dates, medicine quality, and suspected adverse drug reactions.
• Documentation and reporting: Ability to prepare accurate stock status reports, consumption reports, requisitions, and dispensing records.
• Teamwork and coordination: Ability to work effectively with clinicians, nurses, and other MHNT personnel to maintain uninterrupted pharmaceutical support.
• Field readiness: Willingness and ability to travel regularly with the MHNT to designated IDP sites and other operational locations as required.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Pharmaceutical Stock and Supply Management

• Manage the receipt, storage, stock control, distribution, and replenishment of essential medicines and medical supplies for the MHNT.
• Maintain accurate stock cards, bin cards, inventory registers, and pharmaceutical consumption records.
• Monitor stock levels, expiry dates, and consumption patterns to prevent stock-outs, overstocking, and medicine wastage.
• Prepare timely medicine requisitions based on consumption data, patient load, and planned MHNT activities.
• Apply the First-Expiry, First-Out (FEFO) principle and maintain appropriate storage conditions during transportation, field deployment, and storage.
• Conduct regular physical stock counts and reconcile discrepancies between recorded balances and physical stock.
• Identify and promptly report expired, damaged, missing, or near-expiry medicines and other supply chain concerns.

Medicine Dispensing and Patient Counselling

• Dispense medicines accurately in accordance with authorized prescriptions, applicable national treatment guidelines, and the authorized scope of professional practice.
• Provide patient-centred counselling on dosage, frequency, duration, administration, adherence, storage, precautions, and potential adverse effects.
• Review prescriptions for completeness and potential concerns within the limits of professional competence and refer issues to the responsible prescriber.
• Promote rational medicine use, including appropriate antibiotic use and adherence to approved treatment protocols.
• Maintain accurate dispensing records while ensuring patient confidentiality.
• Support patients and caregivers in understanding prescribed treatment regimens, taking into account language, literacy, and other barriers to adherence.

Mobile Health and Nutrition Team Support

• Prepare and verify the availability of essential medicines and medical supplies before each field deployment.
• Ensure the safe packing, transportation, handling, storage, and return of medicines and unused supplies following field activities.
• Coordinate with the MHNT clinical team to align medicine availability with planned services and the needs of the target population.
• Monitor pharmaceutical requirements at each service location and promptly communicate shortages and emerging needs.
• Support continuity of essential medicine supplies for vulnerable populations, including children under five, pregnant and lactating women, and patients requiring ongoing treatment.

Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance and Patient Safety

• Ensure medicines are stored under appropriate environmental conditions in accordance with manufacturer specifications and applicable guidelines.
• Monitor storage temperatures where required and report temperature excursions or other conditions that may compromise medicine quality.
• Segregate expired, damaged, recalled, or otherwise unfit medicines from usable stock and manage them in accordance with approved procedures.
• Monitor expiry dates and implement appropriate measures to minimize pharmaceutical losses.
• Document and report suspected adverse drug reactions, medication errors, and medicine quality concerns through established reporting channels.
• Follow infection prevention and control procedures and ensure the safe handling and disposal of pharmaceutical waste.

Documentation, Reporting, and Accountability

• Maintain complete and accurate records of medicine receipts, dispensing, distribution, consumption, losses, returns, and stock balances.
• Prepare and submit pharmaceutical stock status, consumption, expiry monitoring, and requisition reports within agreed deadlines.
• Provide accurate pharmaceutical data to support project monitoring, health service reporting, and operational planning.
• Ensure pharmaceutical documentation is available for authorized stock verification, supervision, audits, and donor compliance reviews.
• Promptly report stock discrepancies, suspected diversion, theft, and other accountability concerns through established organizational procedures.

Coordination and Collaboration

• Work closely with the MHNT team leader, clinicians, nurses, health officers, and other relevant personnel to ensure effective pharmaceutical support.
• Coordinate with project logistics, procurement, warehouse, and health programme teams on medicine supply, transportation, storage, and replenishment.
• Participate in team meetings, supportive supervision, field planning, and operational review sessions as required.
• Communicate medicine shortages, supply chain constraints, and recommended corrective actions to the designated supervisor in a timely manner.
• Support coordination with relevant health authorities and other stakeholders on pharmaceutical matters, as assigned.

Compliance and Professional Conduct

• Comply with applicable Ethiopian pharmaceutical laws, professional licensing requirements, national treatment guidelines, and organizational procedures.
• Perform all pharmaceutical duties within the authorized scope of professional practice.
• Maintain confidentiality, integrity, and accountability in handling medicines, patient information, and project resources.
• Adhere to PAD’s safeguarding requirements, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) standards, Code of Conduct, and humanitarian principles.
• Undertake field travel with the MHNT to designated IDP sites and other operational locations as required, in accordance with approved movement plans and applicable security and safety procedures.

Qualifications and Experience

Educational Qualifications

Applicants must hold one of the following qualifications from a recognized educational institution:

• BSc in Clinical Pharmacy
• BSc in Pharmacy
• Diploma in Pharmacy

Candidates with a BSc in Clinical Pharmacy will be given preference, considering the pharmaceutical and clinical support requirements of the MHNT.

Professional Experience

• BSc degree holders: At least two years of relevant professional experience in pharmaceutical services, medicine dispensing, pharmaceutical stock management, or health facility pharmacy operations.
• Diploma holders: At least four years of relevant professional experience in pharmaceutical services, medicine dispensing, pharmaceutical stock management, or health facility pharmacy operations.
• Previous experience working with a Mobile Health and Nutrition Team (MHNT) is highly desirable.
• Experience in emergency health programmes, humanitarian response, IDP settings, mobile health services, or underserved communities is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in medicine inventory management, stock documentation, expiry monitoring, and pharmaceutical reporting.
• Familiarity with essential medicines lists, national treatment guidelines, and standard pharmaceutical management procedures.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary health teams in resource-constrained settings is desirable.

Position Title: Pharmacist / Druggist
Number of Positions: 1
Duty Station: Debre Birhan

Female applicants are highly encouraged to apply

Equal Employment Opportunity

PAD promotes fairness, equity, and diversity in the workplace. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion, or other personal status.

Hiring decisions are made solely based on skills, experience, and suitability for the role.
PAD is committed to creating a respectful and inclusive environment where all staff can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and grow professionally.

Zero Tolerance for Misconduct

PAD maintains zero tolerance for abuse, harassment, exploitation, or misuse of power. All staff, volunteers, and partners are expected to follow PAD’s policies and uphold our values at all times.
All successful candidates will undergo background checks and must adhere to PAD’s code of conduct and safeguarding principles.

Recruitment Flexibility

PAD reserves the right to:

• Recruit more than the required candidates from this announcement.
• Keep qualified applicants in our database for future similar roles.

Important Notice on Recruitment Fraud

If you encounter any misconduct, fraud, or corruption related to PAD’s recruitment process or operations, please report immediately via:

• Email: safeguarding@padethiopia.org
• Link: https://one-pad.org/guest_new/public_add_issue
• Toll-free Hotline: 9135

PAD treats all reports confidentially and takes them seriously, ensuring appropriate action is taken.