Consultant: Assessment of the Pharmaceutical Procurement and Supply Management (PSM) system in Ukraine

Background

The State enterprise "The medical procurement of Ukraine" was established by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MOH) in October 2018 with the mandate to act as the Ukrainian central procurement agency (CPA) in health sector to overtake the implementation of national public funded programs, ensure effective procurement of medicinal products and an effective supply chain management system.

CPA’s strategic goals reflect the legal mandate provided by the government and the public value expectations within Ukrainian society towards procurement of medicines. The goals include: - Increase the provision of health services to patients, including medicines, through the efficient use of financial resources. - Improvement of healthcare access for patients through non-financial means: ensure the procurement of safe, effective and quality medicinal products and that stocks are properly managed, no waste is allowed, and the deliveries are conducted in a timely manner. - Contribution to transparency and accountability of the medical procurement before its public stakeholders and ensure access of wider public to the information about medical procurement.

The CPA acts in four different but mutually intertwined ways: - Centralization of medical procurement under governmental programs that include medicines and diagnostics to treat TB and HIV patients; - Procurement services for decentralized clients; - Procurement of goods and services at the request of the local partner of the Global Fund’s local partner – the Public Health center (PHC) of the MOH to counter tuberculosis and HIV-infection; - Technical support for procurement through international organizations.

To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the newly established CPA in terms of ensuring the implementation of the best procurement practices for procurement agencies in accordance with the recommendations for quality assurance systems focusing on purchasing, storage and distribution of pharmaceutical products under the WHO Model Quality Assurance System (MQAS).WHO is conducting the assessment of standards and operational processes, that are incorporated in the procurement and supply management (PSM) cycle performed by CPA.

The CPA capacity assessment project is being implemented to support the country's transition from external funding to domestic funding for TB, HIV and malaria response, identify actions required for a successful transition and further procurement of quality-assured medicines and diagnostics from domestic funds; support PSM aspects for quality-assured medicines.

Objectives

The purpose of the evaluation is to prepare the report on PSM of medicinal products in the country. It will be used as a background for the development of recommendations in the field of PSM development on centralized and regional/sub-regional segments. The assessment will be focusing on system performance for activities such as procurement, warehousing, distribution and reporting.

The specific objectives of work will be to: - Review pharmaceutical PSM architecture including product selection, forecasting/quantification, procurement, quality assurance, Logistic Management Information Systems, inventory management, distribution, storage and waste management - Review existing reports, guidelines, policies on the PSM of medicinal products; - Review of standard operation procedures (SOPs), CPA’s responsibilities and standards on quality assurance and risk management within PSM cycle; - Review of the practice of interaction with counterparties involved in the PSM cycle; - Review PSM tools that are available and in use; - Review of organizational structure and duty instructions, and identify key staff who should receive training on PSM practices; - Case study: procurement of antiretroviral (ARV) medicines at the expense of the 2020 budget; - Case study: procurement of ventilators for Covid-patients treatment at the expense of the reserve fund; - Summarize information and identify weaknesses and areas for improvement within national PSM systems; provide an analysis of the CPA maturity level in terms of the organizational structure compliance with the given authority; align results with MQAS practice; - Draft Capacity Improvement Plan (CIP) to close SPM gaps and ensure continuous supply of quality assured medicines.

Deliverables

• Draft narrative report on the current status of the components of PSM of medicines, medical devices and diagnostics in the country which includes an analysis of the CPA's ability to procure in accordance with MQAS recommendations based on the received data;
• Draft Capacity Improvement Plan.

Contract duration

The contract will be for 20 (twenty days), during the months of October and November 2020.

Location

The consultancy will be working remotely. No travel is planned.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Qualifications Required: Master’s degree or equivalent in Pharmacy, Procurement and Supply Chain Management or related field.

Experience

Required: A minimum of 5 years progressive relevant experience in procurement and supply chain management for health programmes, including at least 3 years of international experience.

Desirable: Strong familiarity with the WHO MQAS, rules and procedures. Work experience with UN, the Global Fund or USAID funded projects on conducting the pharmaceutical PSM system assessments.

Language

Required: Fluency in written and spoken English. Desirable: Knowledge of a Ukrainian/Russian language is an asset.

Skills/Knowledge

Strong communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products. Project and Resource Management: Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs.

Remuneration

Remuneration is based on classified requirements of the Terms of Reference of the Individual Consultant Contract with related academic and professional experience applied for the grade in accordance with WHO’s consultant’s pay band ranges.