[e-drug] Hans Hogerzeil - advocate for essential medicines - retires from WHO

e-drug
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E-DRUG: Hans Hogerzeil - advocate for essential medicines – retires from WHO
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Dear E-druggers,

Today is the last working day of Dr Hans Hogerzeil as Director of the WHO
Essential Medicines Programme. A special seminar was hosted by his
colleagues and friends. No doubt we will see the results on E-drug soon.

Hans qualified as a medical doctor from Leiden University in the
Netherlands, and worked 5 years as a mission doctor in India and Ghana. He
pioneered the morbidity based quantification technique while working in
Agogo Hospital, Ghana, and wrote this up for his Ph.D. in the Netherlands in
1984. In 1985 he joined the WHO Action Programme of Essential Drugs, first
in the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Alexandria (Egypt),
and later in WHO´s Headquarters in Geneva.

As a WHO member staff he has advised more than forty developing countries,
especially in Africa and Asia, on the development of their national
medicines policy, essential medicines list and essential medicines
programme. In his position as Director for Essential Medicines and
Pharmaceutical Policies he was responsible for all WHO´s global policies,
norms and standards on medicines, as well as WHO´s technical support in the
field of medicines, with support programmes in over 80 countries covering
access to essential medicines, quality, and rational use. He chairs the
Interagency Pharmaceutical Coordination Group which coordinates the
pharmaceutical policies and programmes of all major UN agencies, the Global
Fund and the World Bank.

Hans is the editor of several WHO books on essential medicines policies, the
quality of medicines, medicines in emergency situations and essential
medicines for reproductive health.

He has published over 50 scientific papers in peer/reviewed journals. Hans
has made important contributions to the quantification methods, the way we
select essential medicines, and rational use of medicines.

He has also ensured that access to basic essential medicines has been
formally recognised by the UN as a human right.

In 1996 he was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
in Edinburgh and in 1998 he received an honorary doctorate of Science from
the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.

E-DRUG would like to thank Hans Hogerzeil for his immense contribution for
the cause of essential drugs. His first E-drug contribution was in 1996. The
E-drug archives show 170 hits on his name. Interestingly, also his most
recent contribution was on counterfeit medicines. We can be sure there will
be many more to come!

Wilbert Bannenberg
E-drug moderator

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E-drug: VACANCY: Pharmacist with MSF
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[Please reply directly to the contact indicated in the message. Do not reply to E-drug forum. - DB]

Dear E-druggers,

Due to maternity leave Medecins sans Frontieres has a vacancy for the position of Pharmacist at the Public Health Department (based in Amsterdam) for 8 months as of August 2011.

The overall purpose of Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) is to preserve life and alleviate suffering, while protecting human dignity and seeking to restore the ability of people to make their own decisions. MSF accomplishes this through the provision of medical aid and a personal commitment to act as witness to events surrounding populations in danger. This work is essentially performed in periods of crisis, when a situation is no longer held in balance and the very survival of a population may be threatened. The underlying basis for realizing MSF’s objectives is respect for medical ethics, humanitarian principles, human rights and international humanitarian law.

The Public Health Department (PHD) of the Operations Centre Amsterdam (OCA) supports the overall purpose of MSF, providing medical and public health leadership for the organization. The department is responsible for providing strategic direction and integrated advice on medical and public health issues to the field and headquarters (operational managers (OMs). The department is made up of a group of generalist Health Advisors (based in Amsterdam, Toronto and Berlin) working directly with operational managers and the field, a Water and Sanitation Unit and medical and public health specialists (nutrition, laboratory, mental health, pharmacy etc) so as to provide expert support in a range of fields.

Situated in the Public Health Department, the pharmacist works in close collaboration with the MSF-OCA procurement pharmacists based in the Logistics department.

Due to maternity leave we are looking for a full time replacement of our Pharmacist from 1 August to 31st March 2012.

The pharmacist reports hierarchically directly to the Co-ordinator Medical Specialists. In this position the candidate assures and continuously improves the quality of pharmaceuticals and medical products supplied and used by MSF-OCA, through definition of and monitoring adherence to MSF pharmaceutical policies.

Core responsibilities and tasks:
* Advise the Public Health Department and other medical and logistical personnel on pharmaceutical issues.
* In close collaboration with the procurement pharmacist monitor OCA implementation of the MSF international quality assurance of medicines standards.
* Lead implementation in the MSF-OCA of relevant new MSF policies and procedures arising during the period.
* Advise OMs and CMT’s on the possibilities and risks of local drug purchase in project countries, after evaluation of the safety of such purchases when importation is not possible.
* Support the field pharmacist pool and the development of the role of the pharmacists in MSF-OCA missions.
  
Requirements
* A qualified pharmacist, preferably with field experience in developing countries.
* Experience with quality assurance of pharmaceuticals.
* Self-motivated and able to work independently.
* Good written and oral communication skills, with the capacity to act as an adviser to colleagues and the field.
* Must be willing to visit and support projects at short notice.
* Field/HQ experience with MSF or a similar organization is an advantage.
* Fluency in English and preferably French is required; Dutch is not necessary.

WE ARE OFFERING
* A full time appointment (based on a 40-hour work week) for a period of eight months (1 August 2011 to 31st March 2012) in Amsterdam
* A gross salary, with a current salary range between € 2,938 and € 4,198 (scale 7, based on a fulltime appointment),depending on relevant work experience
* Attractive benefits (premium free pension scheme, 20 holidays in this 8 month period)
* A challenging position within a stimulating, professional environment in a major international organization

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION
Further information can be obtained from Debbie Cunningham (Co-ordinator Medical Specialists) on phone +31 20 520 8724. Start date of the position is August 1st. If you are interested in this position, please send your application letter together with your CV in English before 17 June to Jaline Wijkhuizen (Personnel Officer): officejobs@amsterdam.msf.org mentioning 'Pharmacist-PHD'.

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E-DRUG: Hans Hogerzeil - advocate for essential medicines (2)
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[E-DRUG received quite a number of people thanking Hans for his contributions. Unfortunately we cannot let all of these go to all 4000 subscribers, so here one from the Gambia on behalf of all of you! WB]

dear E-druggers,

Let us all join to thank Dr Hans Hogerzeil for all his worthy contributions to the WHO EDP throughout his tenure and wish him well in his retirement!

regards

Mrs Markieu Janneh-Kaira
Chief Pharmacist/ Registrar
National Pharmaceutical Services
Near Kotu Power Station
Ministry of Health & Social Welfare
Banjul,
The Gambia
Tel +220 4460068/4466302
Fax +220 4466303
E-mail: mjkaira@moh.gov.gm