Singida Regional Hospital

• Staff at site: 9 clinical officers, 5 medical officers, 11 assistant medical officers, nurses
• District hospitals: Manyoni, Kiomboi, and Singida Rural
• The hospital infrastructure is in good condition with adequate space for the HIV Care and Treatment Center
• The Regional Medical Officer administers the HIV Care and Treatment Center
• Each HIV Care and Treatment Center has its own dedicated pharmacy which is staffed by a pharmacist or pharmaceutical technician
• The ARV pharmacy is generally separate from the general pharmacy at each hospital

Shinyanga Regional Hospital

• Staff at site: 8 clinical officers, 2 medical officers, 14 assistant medical officers, 27 nursing officers, 52 nurses, 1 pharmacist, and 1 lab technician
• Shinyanga Region has three district hospitals: Kahama, Bariadi, and Bukombe
• The hospital infrastructure is in good condition with adequate space for each separate HIV Care and Treatment Center
• The Regional Medical Officer administers the HIV Care and Treatment Center
• Each HIV Care and Treatment Center has its own dedicated pharmacy which is staffed by a pharmacist or pharmaceutical technician
• The ARV pharmacy is generally separate from the general pharmacy at each hospital

Volunteer assignment:

The Pharmacist will assist staff in assessing the needs of the ARV pharmacy. Needs may vary from site to site. Some pharmacy staff need education regarding ARVs and their side effects. Record keeping is in accordance with national standards, but better internal data collection and analysis may be beneficial to the Care and Treatment Centers. Both the pharmacy and clinic could establish better linkages to more effectively share important and useful data.

Length of the assignment:
3 months minimum, assuming a full-time work schedule

Name and title of supervisor: Regional Medical Officer/District Medical Officer or Care and Treatment Manager

Name and title of counterpart: Pharmacist in Charge (pharmacist or pharmaceutical technician)

• RPh or PharmD degree
• Minimum of two years experience working with antiretroviral regimens
• Thorough knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, specifically ART and treatment adherence
• Experience in developing quality programs in a clinic or hospital-based pharmacy
• Good written and oral communication skills and fluency in English
• Knowledge of HIV/AIDS as it pertains to ART and adherence
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to develop cooperative working relationships with diverse professionals
• Ability to collaborate and work effectively with various program/project implementation partners and officials of governmental and nongovernmental organizations

• Knowledge of the host country’s health system and culture
• Ability to work independently with strong leadership skills
• Previous experience working in a low-resource setting
• Working knowledge of Kiswahili

The objective of the Pharmacist is to increase the capacity of the staff in providing improved and accurate pharmaceutical services to ARV patients.

Volunteer responsibilities: 

• Prepare workplan/schedule based on the given scope of work
• Assess the current knowledge base of the pharmacy staff; assess the current monitoring and evaluation program of the pharmacy
• Develop an ARV patient education program on adherence in coordination with the patient health education volunteer, clinic staff and/or other project stakeholders
• Develop and implement a system to enable the pharmacy and clinic to share information regarding clients and their medication
• Provide ongoing training and support to pharmacy staff as needed

Deliverables 

• Organizational assessment of the pharmacy
• Assessment of the pharmacy staff’s knowledge base and training needs
• Assessment of the pharmacy’s current data collection system and monitoring and evaluation program
• Plan for improved patient education program and timeline for implementation in conjunction with the health education staff
• Monitoring and evaluation plan developed with pharmacy and clinic staff
• Regular reports documenting progress toward objectives in action plan, and documentation of training, consultation, and mentorship provided
• Final report

• Complete the scope of work in the timeframe outlined
• Complete Twinning Center’s assessment and monthly monitoring and evaluation reports
• Submit a post-assignment final report and participate in an exit interview
• Adhere to the AIHA Volunteer Standards of Conduct 

• Provide resources necessary for volunteer to carry out assignment successfully
• Identify a placement site for the volunteer to ensure sustainability of volunteer activities
• Submit performance assessment reports on the volunteer to the Twinning Center

AIHA Twinning Center:

• Conduct pre-assignment orientation and training for volunteer and placement site staff
• Provide volunteer with safe housing, monthly living allowance, medical evacuation coverage, and travel-related costs to and from placement site
• Provide ongoing support of volunteer as needed