The 2015 EAHP Statements Survey results are now available!

The European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy express commonly agreed objectives which every European health system should aim for in the delivery of hospital pharmacy services. They were formulated via a methodological consultation process with EAHP’s 34 member country associations and 34 patient and healthcare professional organisations. Keele University were commissioned to conduct an annual survey amongst European hospital pharmacists to measure progress of the implementation of the Statements and to identify the key barriers and drivers of this.

The baseline survey was conducted from January 2015 to March 2015, while the 2015 statements survey was conducted between October and December 2015 across 33 countries. The focus on this year’s survey was to take a closer look at the statements from the following sections:

• Section 2: Selection, procurement and distribution
• Section 5: Patient safety and quality assurance
• Section 6: Education and research

The overall response rate was 18%, again with wide variation across different countries. 22 of the 33 countries had a response rate of over 30%. The 5 questions where implementation of the statement in question seems to provide the greatest challenge were:

S 6.4 The pharmacists in our hospital routinely publish hospital pharmacy practice research.

S2.5.2 Have you had reason to contact the medicines authority in your country because of medicines shortages?

S5.5.2 Our hospital pharmacy uses computerised decision support to reduce the risk of medication errors

S6.4.4 Have you or your pharmacists engaged in development of local/national guidelines?

S5.2.4 In the past three years have you undertaken an audit to identify priorities for improvement in medicines use processes?