Drug Dispenser

Lindii Peace Foundation (LPF) – Drug Dispenser

Location: Maiduguri, Borno

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role

• Lindii Peace Foundation (LPF) is seeking a qualified, competent and detail-oriented Drug Dispenser to support pharmaceutical services and ensure the safe, accurate and timely dispensing of medicines within its health programme.
• The Drug Dispenser will be responsible for receiving prescriptions, preparing and dispensing medicines under authorized supervision, providing appropriate instructions to patients on medication use, maintaining pharmaceutical records, monitoring stock levels and supporting the proper storage and handling of medicines and medical consumables. The post holder will work closely with medical doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and other healthcare personnel to promote rational medicine use, patient safety and continuity of care.
• The successful candidate will ensure that medicines are dispensed in accordance with authorized prescriptions, approved treatment protocols, established pharmaceutical procedures and applicable regulatory requirements. The role also involves monitoring medicine expiry dates, preventing stock-outs, documenting dispensing activities and identifying medication-related concerns for referral to the appropriate healthcare professional.
• This position requires accuracy, integrity, good organizational skills and a strong commitment to patient confidentiality, medicine safety and quality healthcare delivery in a humanitarian setting.

Key Responsibilities

Dispensing of Medicines and Patient Support:

• Receive and review prescriptions and medication orders for completeness, legibility and authorization before dispensing.
• Dispense prescribed medicines accurately in accordance with authorized prescriptions, approved treatment protocols and established procedures.
• Ensure that the correct medicine, strength, dosage form, quantity and instructions are provided to the appropriate patient.
• Verify medicine labels and dispensing information before issuing medicines to patients.
• Refer unclear, incomplete, potentially inappropriate or conflicting prescriptions to the supervising pharmacist or authorized prescriber for clarification before dispensing.
• Provide patients and caregivers with clear instructions on dosage, frequency, duration, route of administration, storage and other relevant medication-use requirements within the scope of training and authorization.
• Explain basic precautions associated with prescribed medicines and encourage patients to follow the prescribed treatment regimen.
• Provide appropriate information on missed doses, medicine storage and safe handling in accordance with approved guidance and supervisory instructions.
• Maintain a respectful and professional attitude when interacting with patients and caregivers, ensuring that their questions are addressed appropriately.
• Refer patients who report suspected adverse drug reactions, medication errors, worsening symptoms or other medicine-related concerns to the appropriate healthcare professional.
• Ensure that medicines are not dispensed without appropriate authorization or in circumstances that violate applicable professional and regulatory requirements.
• Support adherence to treatment by providing understandable medication instructions and identifying patients who may require additional counselling from a qualified healthcare professional.

Prescription Management and Dispensing Documentation:

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date dispensing registers, prescription records and other required pharmaceutical documentation.
• Record medicines dispensed, quantities issued, dates of dispensing and other information required by approved procedures.
• Ensure that prescriptions are appropriately filed, stored and retrievable for authorized review.
• Document partial dispensing, unavailable medicines, substitutions authorized by the appropriate professional and other relevant dispensing exceptions.
• Report discrepancies between prescriptions, dispensing records and physical stock balances to the supervising pharmacist or designated supervisor.
• Maintain appropriate records of medicines returned, damaged, expired or otherwise unsuitable for dispensing.
• Protect patient information and ensure that prescription and dispensing records are accessible only to authorized personnel.
• Support the preparation of routine dispensing reports, medicine consumption summaries and other pharmaceutical service statistics.
• Ensure that records are complete, legible and available for authorized monitoring visits, clinical reviews and audits.

Medicine Storage and Inventory Management:

• Receive medicines and medical consumables and verify quantities, product descriptions, batch numbers, expiry dates and physical condition against delivery documentation.
• Ensure that medicines are stored under the temperature, humidity, light and security conditions specified by the manufacturer and applicable procedures.
• Arrange medicines systematically to support efficient identification, retrieval and stock monitoring.
• Apply First-Expiry, First-Out (FEFO) principles to ensure that medicines with earlier expiry dates are issued first, where appropriate.
• Monitor stock levels regularly and maintain accurate stock cards, bin cards, inventory registers or approved electronic records.
• Track medicine consumption patterns and identify items requiring replenishment before stock-outs occur.
• Prepare timely requisitions for medicines and pharmaceutical consumables based on stock balances, consumption trends and programme needs.
• Conduct routine physical stock counts and reconcile actual quantities against documented balances.
• Identify and report stock discrepancies, unexplained losses, damaged packaging, suspected diversion and other inventory concerns promptly.
• Separate expired, damaged, recalled, contaminated or otherwise unsuitable medicines from usable stock and clearly identify them to prevent accidental dispensing.
• Ensure that quarantined or expired medicines are managed and disposed of through approved procedures.
• Monitor temperature-sensitive medicines and maintain temperature records where required.
• Support the documentation of medicines received, issued, transferred, returned and disposed of in accordance with established procedures.
• Use medicines and medical supplies responsibly to minimize wastage and ensure the availability of essential treatments.

Pharmaceutical Quality and Medicine Safety:

• Ensure that all medicines dispensed are obtained through approved supply channels and meet applicable quality requirements.
• Check medicine names, strengths, dosage forms, packaging integrity, batch numbers and expiry dates before dispensing.
• Identify and report suspected counterfeit, falsified, substandard or otherwise questionable medical products through established reporting channels.
• Ensure that medicines are not issued when their quality, identity, storage history or suitability for use is in doubt.
• Follow approved procedures for handling medicine recalls, product alerts and other pharmaceutical safety notices.
• Support the implementation of measures to prevent medication errors, dispensing mistakes and inappropriate medicine use.
• Report dispensing errors, near misses, adverse drug reaction concerns and other medication-related incidents promptly to the appropriate supervisor.
• Participate in medication safety reviews, stock reconciliation exercises and quality improvement activities when required.
• Ensure that medicine substitutions are made only when authorized by the appropriate qualified professional and permitted under applicable procedures.
• Maintain professional boundaries and refer clinical decisions beyond the Drug Dispenser's competence to the supervising pharmacist or authorized prescriber.

Rational Medicine Use and Patient Counselling:

• Promote the safe and appropriate use of medicines by providing accurate instructions within the scope of training and authorization.
• Reinforce prescribed treatment instructions and encourage patients to complete their treatment as directed by the authorized prescriber.
• Explain medicine administration schedules and storage requirements in clear, accessible language.
• Provide basic information on common precautions and the