Location: Mbarara 

Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) is a not-for-profit charitable NGO which was established in 1993 with the vision “Palliative Care for all in need in Africa”. HAU is registered by the NGO Bureau as a local NGO and is a licensed Private not-for profit (PNFP) health facility registered by the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council (UMDPC). HAU owns the Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa (IHPCA) which is accredited by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to offer short certificate courses, diplomas, bachelors, and post graduate diplomas and masters in palliative care.

HAU has 3 objectives:

To provide an affordable and culturally appropriate clinical service to patients suffering from

Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and/ or other life-threatening illnesses.

2. To offer education in Palliative Care to health and non-health professionals.

3. To support the spread of Palliative Care to other African Countries.

HAU has three hospice sites; Hospice Kampala, Mobile Hospice Mbarara in Mbarara district, and Little Hospice Hoima in Hoima Oil City. HAU promotes modern methods of pain and symptom control as well as “whole-person” (holistic) centered care for patients and families living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. HAU wishes to recruit dynamic, skilled, and caring Ugandans committed to palliative care to fill the following positions:

JOB PURPOSE:

Professionally maintain the pharmacy and implement MOH/NDA policies and regulations. Training the nurses and other health professionals in the team in the use and dispensing of drugs, and training other health professionals on placement and on course.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

The Pharmacy

• Has full control of the pharmacy and dispensing of medicines.
• Supervises other members of the health care team in dispensing medications.
• Helps in procurement of the cost-effectives medication as per essential palliative care drug list.
• Ensures sufficient stock of essential Palliative Care dugs and other supplies necessary in the pharmacy.
• Maintains an up-to-date stock card system to account for the usage of drugs and supplies.
• Accounts for drugs used on a monthly basis before ordering new stock as required periodically.

Dispensing

• Dispenses drugs to patients.
• Gives detailed explanations to patients on how to take drugs correctly using the patient medicine chart.

Record keeping 

• Updates the register for class A drugs on a daily basis.
• Files all prescriptions for class A drugs according to the formulation indicated thereon.
• Ensures that authorized prescribers of class A sign the prescription.
• Ensures that the patients and caretakers sign for class A drugs received.
• Ensures safe storage of stock of class A drugs and that class A drugs are kept in a manner acceptable to NDA and the Ugandan and International laws.

Stock check

• Ensures that all Class A drugs recorded are updated daily and any discrepancies e.g. expiration, spillage, spoilage, are entered into the register and signed.
• Checks and appropriately refills nurses’ medical bags on a regular basis.

Storage 

• Ensures that all medications are put away in locked cupboards when the dispenser or nurses dispensing are not in the pharmacy.

Minimum Requirements: 

At least a diploma in pharmacy with two years’ experience in pharmacy. Additional qualifications in palliative care will be an added advantage. Registration with the Professional Council