Pharmacy Service Manager

The Pharmacy Service Manager is responsible for the overall management, coordination, supervision, and quality assurance of pharmacy services at Washington Healthcare PLC. The position provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure the safe, effective, rational, timely, and patient-centered use and supply of medicines and pharmaceutical products.

The Pharmacy Service Manager oversees pharmacy personnel, dispensing and medication management activities, pharmaceutical procurement and inventory, storage and distribution, medication safety, regulatory compliance, quality management, controlled medicines, pharmacy information systems, and continuous service improvement. The position works closely with physicians, nurses, laboratory professionals, hospital management, patients, suppliers, and other healthcare professionals to ensure high-quality pharmaceutical care and optimal patient outcomes

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Pharmacy Service Management and Operation:

• Plan, organize, coordinate, and oversee the day-to-day operations of pharmacy services.
• Ensure efficient, safe, timely, and uninterrupted provision of pharmaceutical services across inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and other relevant service areas.
• Develop and implement pharmacy operational plans, workflows, duty schedules, service standards, and performance targets.
• Ensure dispensing, medication preparation, labeling, storage, distribution, and documentation are performed in accordance with approved procedures and professional standards.
• Ensure appropriate review and processing of prescriptions and medication orders before dispensing.
• Promote rational, safe, effective, and cost-conscious use of medicines.
• Ensure proper identification, handling, storage, dispensing, distribution, and documentation of medicines and pharmaceutical products.
• Monitor pharmacy service efficiency, prescription turnaround time, waiting time, workload, and patient satisfaction.
• Establish mechanisms to identify and resolve medication-related service problems and complaints.
• Coordinate pharmacy services with physicians, nurses, laboratory personnel, and other clinical departments.
• Ensure continuity of pharmacy services during working hours, weekends, holidays, and emergency situations as applicable.

• Clinical Pharmacy and Medication Management:

• Promote the provision of appropriate clinical pharmacy services to support safe and effective patient care.
• Review prescriptions and medication orders for appropriate drug selection, dose, route, frequency, duration, duplication, interactions, contraindications, allergies, and other clinically relevant issues within the scope of pharmacy practice.
• Provide medication-related information and consultation to physicians, nurses, patients, and caregivers.
• Participate in multidisciplinary clinical discussions, ward rounds, case reviews, and medication management activities as assigned.
• Promote antimicrobial stewardship and rational use of antimicrobial medicines in collaboration with relevant clinical teams.
• Support therapeutic drug monitoring and medication optimization where applicable.
• Identify, document, communicate, and follow up medication-related problems and adverse drug reactions.
• Promote appropriate patient counseling regarding medication use, dosage, administration, precautions, adherence, and potential adverse effects.
• Ensure appropriate medication reconciliation practices are implemented where applicable..

• Medical Safety and Pharmacovigilance:

• Establish and maintain systems to promote medication safety throughout the medication-use process.
• Monitor and investigate medication errors, near misses, adverse drug reactions, dispensing errors, and other medication-related incidents.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, reporting, investigation, and follow-up of medication incidents.
• Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) related to medication safety incidents.
• Promote safe prescribing, dispensing, administration, storage, and monitoring of medicines.
• Ensure high-alert, look-alike/sound-alike (LASA), concentrated electrolyte, and other high-risk medicines are appropriately identified, stored, handled, and monitored.
• Coordinate pharmacovigilance activities and ensure appropriate reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions to relevant authorities and institutional systems.
• Develop and monitor medication safety indicators and quality improvement initiatives.
• Pharmaceutical Procurement and Inventory Management:
• Develop and implement effective pharmaceutical inventory management systems.
• Forecast medicine and pharmaceutical product requirements based on consumption, patient volume, disease patterns, stock levels, and service plans.
• Prepare and review pharmacy procurement plans and provide technical specifications for medicines, medical supplies, and pharmaceutical products.
• Coordinate with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure timely procurement and availability of essential medicines.
• Monitor stock levels, consumption patterns, minimum and maximum stock levels, reorder points, and lead times.
• Ensure appropriate application of FEFO (First Expiry, First Out) and FIFO (First In, First Out) principles where applicable.
• Monitor expiry dates, near-expiry products, damaged products, recalled products, and obsolete stock.
• Minimize stock-outs, overstocking, expiry, wastage, and financial losses.
• Participate in supplier evaluation, product quality assessment, procurement processes, and contract performance monitoring.
• Ensure medicines received from suppliers are properly inspected, verified, documented, and stored before distribution
• Pharmaceutical Storage and Distribution:
• Ensure medicines and pharmaceutical products are stored under appropriate temperature, humidity, lighting, security, and other required conditions.
• Monitor and document storage conditions, including cold-chain requirements where applicable.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of expired, damaged, recalled, quarantined, and returned medicines.
• Maintain appropriate security and restricted access for controlled, narcotic, psychotropic, and other regulated medicines.
• Ensure appropriate distribution of medicines to inpatient units, outpatient services, emergency services, operating areas, and other authorized locations.
• Monitor medicine distribution processes and ensure accurate documentation and accountability.
• Ensure appropriate procedures are in place for medicine returns, recalls, shortages, and product quality concerns.
• Quality Management and Accreditation:
• Lead and support implementation and continuous improvement of the pharmacy Quality Management System (QMS).
• Develop, review, implement, and monitor pharmacy policies, procedures, SOPs, guidelines, and work instructions.
• Monitor compliance with pharmacy standards, organizational policies, professional requirements, and applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Establish and monitor pharmacy quality indicators and performance measures.
• Conduct or coordinate internal pharmacy audits, inspections, medication-use reviews, and quality assessments.
• Investigate nonconformities, medication incidents, complaints, and service deficiencies and ensure appropriate corrective and preventive actions.
• Participate in hospital quality improvement, patient safety, accreditation, and clinical governance activities.
• Maintain appropriate quality records, audit reports, monitoring tools, and improvement documentation.
• Staff Management and Supervision:
• Recruit, orient, supervise, evaluate, and support pharmacy personnel in accordance with organizational policies.
• Develop pharmacy duty rosters, work schedules, leave arrangements, and staffing plans.
• Ensure adequate staffing and appropriate distribution of responsibilities according to workload and service requirements.
• Monitor staff performance, attendance, competency, productivity, professional conduct, and compliance with pharmacy procedures.
• Conduct or coordinate staff competency assessments and identify training and professional development needs.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, coaching, and guidance to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, interns, students, and trainees.
• Address staff performance issues, professional conduct concerns, conflicts, and disciplinary matters in collaboration with Human Resources and senior management.
• Promote teamwork, effective communication, professional ethics, accountability, and patient-centered service among pharmacy staff.
• Ensure pharmacy professionals maintain valid professional licenses and fulfill continuing professional development requirements.
• Regulatory and Compliance Responsibilities:
• Ensure pharmacy operations comply with applicable Ethiopian laws, regulations, professional standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure compliance with requirements of the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) and other relevant regulatory authorities.
• Ensure all pharmacy professionals have valid licenses and required professional credentials.
• Maintain required pharmacy licenses, permits, registrations, certificates, and regulatory documentation.
• Prepare the pharmacy for regulatory inspections and ensure timely implementation of inspection recommendations.
• Maintain accurate documentation for regulated medicines, pharmaceutical products, procurement, dispensing, storage, and disposal.
• Ensure confidentiality and security of patient medication and health information.
• Financial and Administrative Management:
• Prepare pharmacy operational plans, budgets, staffing requirements, and resource needs in collaboration with hospital management.
• Monitor pharmacy expenditures and promote efficient and cost-effective utilization of pharmaceutical resources.
• Monitor medicine expenditure, high-cost medicines, slow-moving products, and financial risks associated with inventory.
• Analyze pharmacy revenue, expenditure, consumption, wastage, and other relevant financial indicators.
• Prepare regular pharmacy activity, performance, inventory, medication safety, and financial reports for management.
• Maintain accurate pharmacy records, registers, inventory records, dispensing records, controlled-drug records, quality records, and other required documentation.
• Participate in management meetings, departmental meetings, quality review meetings, and multidisciplinary clinical meetings as required.
• Patient Care and Customer Service:
• Promote patient-centered pharmacy services and ensure respectful, professional, and confidential care.
• Ensure patients receive appropriate medication counseling and information regarding their medicines.
• Establish mechanisms to receive, document, investigate, and resolve pharmacy-related patient complaints and concerns.
• Monitor patient satisfaction with pharmacy services and implement improvement measures.
• Ensure patients receive medicines accurately and within appropriate service timeframes.
• Promote medication adherence and safe medication practices through appropriate patient education.
• Ensure patient medication information is handled confidentially and securely.
• Information Systems and Data Management:
• Ensure effective use of pharmacy information systems and electronic medical record systems where applicable.
• Ensure accurate recording of prescriptions, dispensing transactions, inventory movements, controlled medicines, and other pharmacy data.
• Monitor pharmacy data to identify trends, operational problems, medication safety risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure appropriate backup, confidentiality, and security of pharmacy information.
• Generate and analyze pharmacy reports and performance dashboards for management decision-making.
• Education, Training, and Professional Development:
• Develop and implement pharmacy staff orientation, training, and continuing professional development programs.
• Coordinate training on medication safety, dispensing procedures, pharmaceutical storage, controlled medicines, pharmacovigilance, infection prevention, and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Support orientation and competency assessment of newly recruited pharmacy personnel.
• Facilitate technical training on new medicines, pharmacy technologies, information systems, and updated procedures.
• Support training and supervision of pharmacy interns, students, and trainees.
• Encourage staff participation in professional development activities, workshops, conferences, and scientific programs.
• Stay updated on advances in pharmacy practice, pharmacotherapy, pharmaceutical technologies, medication safety, regulatory requirements, and healthcare standards.
• Strategic Development and Quality Improvement:
• Identify opportunities to expand, modernize, automate, and improve pharmacy services.
• Develop and implement pharmacy quality improvement projects based on service data, patient needs, medication safety findings, and identified performance gaps.
• Analyze prescription volume, medicine consumption, inventory turnover, stock-outs, expiry, wastage, medication errors, and other pharmacy performance indicators.
• Develop strategies to improve medicine availability, cost-effectiveness, patient safety, and service efficiency.
• Support implementation of new pharmacy technologies, dispensing systems, clinical pharmacy services, and medication management programs.
• Participate in strategic planning for pharmacy service expansion, staffing, technology, infrastructure, and pharmaceutical resource requirements.
• Other Duties:

·         Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from a recognized institution.

·         A postgraduate qualification in Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacy Administration, Hospital Pharmacy, Healthcare Management, Public Health, or a related field is highly desirable.

·         Valid professional license by the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) or equivalent regulatory body in Ethiopia

·         Minimum of 5 years of demonstrable professional experience in hospital, clinical, community, or specialized pharmacy practice.

·         Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or managerial experience in a hospital, healthcare, or pharmacy service environment

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

·         Strong knowledge of pharmacy practice, pharmacotherapy, pharmaceutical management, medication-use systems, and patient safety principles.

·         Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical procurement, inventory management, storage, distribution, and stock control.

·         Demonstrated ability to manage, supervise, motivate, and develop pharmacy personnel.

·         Strong knowledge of medication safety, medication error prevention, pharmacovigilance, adverse drug reaction monitoring, and high-risk medication management.

·         Knowledge of controlled medicines, narcotic and psychotropic drug management, documentation, storage, and regulatory requirements.

·         Strong understanding of quality assurance, quality control, quality improvement, audit processes, and accreditation requirements.

·         Proficiency in pharmacy information systems, electronic medical records, inventory management systems, and Microsoft Office applications.

·         Excellent analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills.

·         Strong ability to analyze pharmacy utilization, inventory, medication safety, financial, and performance data.