EAHP represents over 30,000 hospital pharmacists across 37 member countries. EAHP represents and develops the hospital pharmacy profession within Europe in order to ensure the continuous improvement of care and outcomes for patients in the hospital setting. This is achieved through science, research, education, practice, as well as sharing best-practice and responsibility with other healthcare professional
The EAHP Board, elected for three-year terms, oversees the association’s activities. Comprising directors responsible for core functions, it meets regularly to implement strategic goals. Supported by EAHP staff, the Board controls finances, coordinates congress organization, and ensures compliance with statutes and codes of conduct.
The EAHP staff supports the Board in executing EAHP’s mission. The Staff assists in financial management, events organisations, policy activities and all EAHP projects. The EAHP staff works closely with EAHP’s members and ensures the effective communication all relevant stakeholders.
The first member countries were Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands in 1972. EAHP has now 36 EAHP members and 2 Associate Members. EAHP is open to countries members of the Council of Europe and since 2022 to organisations representing the interests of hospital pharmacists from outside the Council of Europe (Associate Membership)
EAHP’s structure is also composed by different standing committes: EAHP Scientific Committee, EAHP Education Executive Committee and the EAHP CTF Steering Committee.
At EAHP, we are committed to transparency in our governance, ethical standards, and funding practices. This section provides open access to our foundational documents, including the EAHP Statutes, Code of Conduct, and Funding Sources. By sharing these resources, we aim to uphold accountability and foster trust with our members, partners, and the public.
Keep up with all EAHP’s events and webinars. Contact the team at info@eahp.eu should you have any questions about upcoming events or activities.
Here you can find all upcoming events organised by EAHP and by all its members and associate members. Do not hesitate to contact the events team at events@eahp.eu should you have any questions about the organisation of these events.
Hospital pharmacists conduct a critical role in the care of patients in hospitals. Learn more about what they do here and in all the pages under Hospital Pharmacy practice and Policy.
Self-Assessment
SILCC
Closed SIGs
EAHP brings together experts from many areas of hospital pharmacy practice providing and highlighting good local sustainable practices as that can be up-scaled and shared with other countries. The EAHP Working Group on Sustainability has the aim of reducing the environmental burden of the hospital pharmacy services.
The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP), and its 36 member country platforms are creating a Common Training Framework for the hospital pharmacy education in Europe. The goal of this project is to allow the free movement of hospital pharmacists within the European Union.
The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) have collaboratively developed the Oath to Society. The Oath to Society is all encompassing and acts as a contract for excellence in providing compassionate patient care, working as part of the healthcare team and advancing the pharmacy profession, and showcasing how clinical and hospital pharmacists work every day
A day created to highlight the importance and to celebrate the work done by hospital pharmacies. This day celebrates all hospital pharmacy teams.
Catch up with EAHP’s press releases
Find all EAHP relevant publication like the EAHP Surveys, annual reports and the history books.
The European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (EJHP) is the only official journal of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and is committed to advancing the science, practice and profession of hospital pharmacy. As the premier communication platform for hospital pharmacists worldwide, EJHP is a major source for continuing education as well as updates on advances in the practice and standard of pharmaceutical care for patients.
When EAHP and Hospital pharmacists appear in the news.
EAHP publishes a monthly EU monitor with updates about the latest EAHP initiatives and information relevant for the hospital pharmacy profession.
Sponsor Channel
The Sponsor Channel is designed to maximise visibility and engagement, allowing sponsors to connect with the hospital pharmacy community and partners in a dynamic and interactive environment. From product demonstrations to networking sessions, the Sponsor Channel offers a range of opportunities for sponsors to showcase their offerings and generate leads in the new EAHP Website.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Mafalda Cavalheiro 1
Joana Simões 1
Carolina Marques 1
Patrícia Batalha Silva 1
Miriam Capoulas 1
Cláudia Santos 1
1 – Pharmacy Department, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Portugal
Due to the connection with the clinical area and innovation, trials in our pharmacy services were previously assigned to each pharmacist specialized in the corresponding therapeutic area. In the beginning of 2024, the increasing number of clinical trials, coordination and investigational drug management challenges emerged and proved that the previous model was inefficient. Our aim is to develop a centralized unit that is the key to coordinate pharmaceutical activity and improve patient care in clinical trials. In addition to dispensing process, pharmacists become responsible for ensuring therapeutic reconciliation, patient education and treatment adherence, improving medication safety.
During a time of continued growth in clinical trials number, it was defined as a pharmacy services’ goal the creation of a centralized clinical trial unit. Additionally, the need to structure a pharmaceutical consultation has arisen.
The process unfolded in three phases: team structuring, logistical reorganization and consolidation of the pharmaceutical care process. A lead pharmacist was appointed as coordinator, supported by a backup and three pharmacists in oncology and three in non-oncology. The major limitation was the establishment of the pharmaceutical team and their training for the several ongoing trials. The unit was reorganized into a larger area, including workstations, medication storage and a meeting room. The pharmaceutical consultation was structured into an initial evaluation and follow-ups. During the first consultation, the pharmacist conducts patient assessments, medication education, toxicity management information and drug/herbal interactions checking. Follow-up consultations focused on medication dispensing, compliance, adverse effects and patient concerns.
The centralized unit currently manages 66 clinical trials (37 oncologic; 29 non-oncologic). Seven oncologic trials regularly include pharmaceutical consultations, representing an average of 10 appointments per month. Given the benefits of pharmaceutical intervention, particularly in terms of increased adherence, reports of drug safety and compliance, the importance of this centralization is clear.
Due to logistical challenges, pharmaceutical consultations have only been implemented for oncologic oral medications. With the robustness of the centralized unit, the next goal is to expand pharmaceutical consultations to oral non-oncologic trials, following the successful model used for oncologic trials.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Lanzone E. (1), Baldessarelli D. (2), Tinebra A. M. (1), Albini E. M. E. (1), Panarotto A. (1), Rossi C. (1) – (1) SC Farmacia Ospedaliera ASL Novara, (2) Scuola di Specializzazione Farmacia Ospedaliera Novara.
A comprehensive analysis of systemic antibiotic use in hospitals during the first half of 2024 was conducted, revealing a significant increase in the consumption of WATCH class drugs, specifically carbapenems (ATC J01DH) and fluoroquinolones (J01MA). This prompted the implementation of rigorous monitoring for prescriptions of these drug classes.
These antibiotics are key targets of the National Plan Against Antimicrobial Resistance (PNCAR 2022-2025), which mandates a reduction of at least 10% in consumption by 2025 compared to 2022. The initiative aimed to address the rising consumption and enhance antibiotic stewardship.
Data were extracted from the regional IT system, with consumption expressed in Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 100 patient days. The project monitored the use of systemic antibiotics (ATC J01), focusing on carbapenems and fluoroquinolones. Motivated requests received by the Hospital Pharmacy (FO) were reviewed for therapeutic indications, dosage, treatment duration, and the availability of an antibiogram. All requests were recorded in an Excel sheet for effective data analysis and management.
In the first half of 2024, the Hospital Pharmacy received a total of 277 motivated requests for antibiotic prescriptions. Among these, 177 requests were aligned with the objectives of the PNCAR. Specifically, there were 54 requests for fluoroquinolones, including 35 for ciprofloxacin and 19 for levofloxacin. Within this subset, 16 requests included an antibiogram, while 27 were based on empirical data. Additionally, there were 6 requests for surgical prophylaxis, 1 for continuation of therapy, 1 accompanied by a positive urine culture, and 3 that were incorrectly filled out.
The analysis of requests also highlighted a significant number related to carbapenems, with a total of 123 submissions. Of these, 120 were for meropenem, 2 for imipenem in combination with cilastatin, and 1 for ertapenem. Notably, 80 of these requests included an antibiogram, with 74 deemed appropriate based on the established criteria.
Based on the collected data, modifications to the personalized motivated request form were proposed, introducing stricter criteria for empirical use of these antibiotics. This aims to limit their use to serious and well-defined cases, representing a significant step toward more effective antibiotic therapy and improved clinical outcomes while reducing the risk of resistance. The new form specifies that ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin requests can only be made under certain conditions, and carbapenems are restricted to cases of hemodynamic instability or severe respiratory failure.
Education and Research
Elisa Vitale, Quentin Perrier, Arnaud Tanty, Claire Chapuis, Armance Grevy, Agathe Landoas, Dorothée Lombardo, Prudence Gibert, Lénaik Doyen, Benoit Allenet, Pierrick Bedouch, Sébastien Chanoine
In France, during their 5th year of study, pharmacy students complete a six-month full-time equivalent internship in a hospital setting. At our hospital, most students spend six months in a care unit to perform pharmaceutical care and promote quality use of medicines. These missions are carried out in collaboration with all healthcare professionals, either under the direct supervision of a pharmacy resident, senior pharmacist, or independently. While tasks assigned to pharmacy students in the care unit with direct pharmaceutical supervision were well known, other students reported difficulties in understanding what was expected of them, as well as a lack of confidence when integrating an established interprofessional team.
The aim was to create and evaluate a specific training session for all pharmacy students joining a care unit for the first time.
Four hospital pharmacists collaborated to define the learning objectives and select the appropriate teaching tools. A pre- and post-training self-assessment questionnaire consisting of seven questions was created to evaluate students’ self-efficacy regarding the learning objectives and their satisfaction with the training.
A four-hour training session, divided into five sequences, was created. The objectives were: 1) Highlighting the challenges of joining an interprofessional team, 2) identifying the tasks and learning opportunities for pharmacy students, 3) simulating a medication reconciliation, 4) managing pharmaceutical issues through problem-solving exercises.
Regarding the evaluation, students reported that they: a) were more enthusiastic about the idea of working in a care unit after the training course (85% vs. 74%, p=0.001); b) had a clear understanding of their mission (84% vs. 53%, p<0.001); c) felt more confident in performing a medication reconciliation (93% vs. 35%, p<0.001); d) were more aware of the pharmaceutical resources available to them (95% vs. 27%, p<0.001); e) had a better understanding of how hospital pharmacy is organized (58% vs. 19%, p<0.001). Additionally, 99% found the training useful, and 94% felt that the training methods aligned with the training objectives.
Assess the long-term impact of the training and its effectiveness in ensuring that pharmacy students perform pharmaceutical care successfully and confidently
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Margot DESCHAMPS, Nejib BORGAAOUI, Jimmy ROSE, Jennifer LE GRAND, Louise NICOLAS
Digestive cancers represent about 25% of new cancer cases diagnosed in France each year. The medical management of these cancers mainly relies on cytotoxic drugs. Side effects of these medications (fatigue, hair loss, nausea, or digestive issues) can affect negatively patients quality of life. These symptoms can make daily life challenging.
As part of a patient therapeutic education program, the goal of our project was to develop an innovative educational tool to help patients better understand these side effects and find ways to manage them.
As part of the implementation of a multidisciplinary therapeutic education program, bringing together oncologists, pharmacists, sophrologists, osteopaths, and nutritionists, designed for patients treated for digestive cancers, the pharmacy is responsible for a workshop focused on the side effects of chemotherapy. The main molecules used to treat digestive cancers were listed, along with their most common side effects. Based on this analysis, playing cards were created, each corresponding to a specific side effect.
The developed tool is an educational and interactive board game, consisting of a board, a dice, and 56 cards. These cards are divided into 6 categories: general symptoms, neurology-psychology, heart-lungs, gastroenterology, dermatology, and real-life scenarios. The cards were designed to be understandable and accessible to all patients. The workshop takes place in two parts, with the pharmacist as the main facilitator. In the first part, patients are encouraged to share their personal experiences related to the drawn card. Then, the scenario cards are presented to help patients manage these challenges in their daily lives.
The decision was made to limit the number of participants to 6, in order to allow everyone to express themselves and exchange freely. The duration of the workshop was theoretically set at 1.5 hours but will need to be adjusted during the first workshops. It will be necessary to implement satisfaction surveys and patient follow-up on various criteria, such as emergency room visits, the number of calls after the session, and the rating of side effects.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
K. Joyce, D. Jukes, F. Stewart
In 2023, the drug formularies across Northeast and North Cumbria integrated care system were merged, with amiodarone allocated an ‘amber’ shared care status.
NHS England guidance recommends that existing patients taking amiodarone in primary care should be reviewed to ensure prescribing remains safe and appropriate and that a shared care agreement is introduced.
The pharmacy team aimed to implement this guidance, with minimum impact on clinician workload. The approach was steered by NHS England’s comments, in June 2024, regarding the importance of teams working together to meet the pressures and demands of primary and secondary care under the direction of the integrated care board (ICB).
County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) pharmacy team worked collaboratively across the primary-secondary care interface to implement shared care agreements.
The ICB medicines optimisation team worked with the CDDFT pharmacists to engage GPs and cardiologists across the interface, creating a work-plan to share resources.
An audit tool was designed to capture patients prescribed amiodarone in the 61 GP practices across County Durham, which was completed by pharmacy staff within primary care networks.
Cardiology pharmacists in secondary care reviewed the data, triaging patients according to: indication, monitoring requirements, those requiring consultant review and those who could potentially stop treatment.
The audit, returning data for 129 patients, identified 93 patients without shared care. For half of these, discontinuation was considered as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence explicitly recommends against use in atrial fibrillation. For the remaining, shared care agreements have been implemented with minimal impact on clinician time, primary care capacity and secondary care referrals.
The audit found 21% of patients without a shared care agreement were not receiving the recommended monitoring, compared to 100% receiving correct monitoring when one was in place. It may be anticipated that implementation will improve patient safety and experience through detection and avoidance of adverse events.
This initiative demonstrates the ICB and pharmacy successfully bridging care settings to improve patient care and experience and overcome challenges.
Building on these established relationships across the interface this work provides a model for sustainable collaboration on future shared care work.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Rita Sofia Conde Lopes, Rita Manuel Neves Lopes, Ana Paula Barbeita, Teresa Cunha, Patrocínia Rocha
Improving the training of PRs and supporting the neonatal medical team by addressing their needs.
The Pharmaceutical Residency (PR) lasts four years, during which the Resident Pharmacist (RP) must acquire skills in various areas. In the PR, one of the longest functional areas is pharmacotechnics, which includes the handling of sterile and non-sterile medicines. At the Unidade Local de Saúde de Santo António (ULSSA), which includes the Centro Materno Infantil do Norte (CMIN), this type of preparation is crucial due to the type of population it serves — pediatrics. With this in mind, the RP had the opportunity to complete a one-month internship in the neonatology unit (NU), where, in addition to familiarizing with the unit’s routine, they assisted with various needs of the service.
PRs attended morning routine specialist doctors during the morning routine, participating in both the night-morning and morning-afternoon shift handovers and follow-ups. The schedule was coordinated between the Pharmaceutical Services (PS) and the NU to ensure this was the most productive time for both parties. During shift changes, any issues from the previous period were discussed. When these topics involved the FS, the PR provided assistance.
During their presence NU, PR were able to intervene in several key areas, including expediting Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee authorizations (e.g., everolimus for a neonate with rhabdomyoma), managing the logistics for obtaining non-commercialized medication in Portugal (e.g., erythromycin oral suspension for prokinetic use), supporting clinical decisions regarding the prescription of parenteral nutrition bags, updating the medical prescription system for dressing materials (e.g., maltodextrin powder dressings) and creating a spreadsheet for prescribing protein supplements.
This collaboration has fostered a stronger connection between pharmaceutical and clinical services and underscores the vital role of multidisciplinary teams in healthcare, where experts from different fields contribute with their specialized knowledge. Such collaboration not only enhances patient outcomes but also optimizes workflows by reducing service duplication, increasing productivity, and saving valuable time. In the future it is expected continue this collaboration.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Daniel Rasmussen* and Morten Baltzer Houlind
72-hour treatment responsibility (72H-TR) after hospital care is established to create a safe transition for the patient between hospital treatment and their home. After the implementation of 72H-TR, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager and Hvidovre (AHH), experiences many calls from the municipalities related to patients’ medications. The purpose of this was to characterize calls related to medication in relation to 72H-TR.
We reviewed logs from incoming calls made by Copenhagen and Høje-Taastrup municipalities regarding 72H-TR.
Calls related to patients discharged from the orthopedic or pulmonary medicine departments from AHH during the period from September to November 2023 were included. Further, two senior clinical pharmacists assessed whether calls related to medication was potentially preventable. In case of disagreement, consensus was reached between the reviews.
The results showed that 27 out of 50 (54%) calls were medication-related, and 22 out of 27 (82%) were potentially preventable. Of the medication-related calls that were potentially preventable, suboptimal communication was responsible for 11 out of 22 cases (50%), lack of a prescription accounted for 8 out of 22 cases (36%), and incomplete medication reconciliation accounted for 3 out of 22 cases (14%).
The next step will involve cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary workshops to identify barriers and facilitators and optimize the discharge process. We will also continue improving the online medication discharge reports available to municipalities to eliminate any ambiguities.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
S Hurel, H Benoist, N Guesdon, S Niemczyk, A-P Gaumon, A Perdriel, E Labbe
Hospital Center of Falaise, Falaise, FRANCE
sylvelie.hurel@orange.fr
Implementation of a local cooperation protocol (LCP) to enable pharmacists to renew and adapt prescriptions within the hospital.
In France, a decree published in February 2023 allows pharmacists working in hospital pharmacies to renew and adapt therapies (RAT) in a concerted manner (RATC) or directly (RATD). Previously, pharmacists could not intervene directly in prescriptions, but could only recommend changes to the prescriber, which were often time-consuming and never made. The aim of setting up this protocol was to improve patient care and optimise pharmacist and medical time.
The LCP was implemented on 8 July 2024 in a 600-bed hospital on three long-term geriatric test units (100 beds) following validation by the hospital medical committee in June 2024. A prospective study was carried out over three months on seven indicators: number of patients included, RATCs, RATDs, physician acceptance rates, adverse event (AE) and serious AE rates, and pharmacist and physician satisfaction rates. The indicators were collected in real time using a dynamic cross-tabulated Excel table, and satisfaction was assessed using a survey comprising five multiple-choice questions.
The number of patients included over the three months implementation period was 58. A total of 153 RATs were performed, including 53.6% (n=82) RATDs and 46.4% (n=71) RATCs. The main interventions concerned drugs prescribed but not referenced in hospital (n=38), inappropriate treatment durations (n=23) and supra-therapeutic dosages (n=18). The acceptance rate by doctors was 100% (n=153). There were no AEs or serious AEs reported. The satisfaction rate of doctors (n=3) and pharmacists (n=2) showed an overall satisfaction rate of 100% (n=5).
This three-month feedback showed that healthcare professionals were completely satisfied with the service provided by this LCP and the indicators have proved that this protocol can be applied safely. Thanks to this results, the LCP will therefore be continued in the three test units before being rolled out to other departments. Implementing this LCP in departments such as surgery will make it possible to secure prescriptions in a partnership between doctors and pharmacists.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
V. Mureddu, G. Ledda, G. Adamu, M. Rivano, A. Cadeddu. Hospital Pharmacy Department, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria, Cagliari.
Mifepristone and misoprostol are provided for Voluntary Pregnancy Interruption (VPI) and Spontaneous Miscarriage (SM) according to different reimbursement schemes, based on different gestational age. According to Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC), the use of mifepristone and misoprostol is approved only within the first 63 days of pregnancy. Recently, access to treatment for VPI and SM has been extended by the Italian Medicines Agency by the I trimester of pregnancy. VPI within the first 49 days of gestation, the use of mifepristone and misoprostol is authorized according to SPCs. From 50th to 63th days is guaranteed under the law 649/96, that allows and reimburses the use of medicines for off-label indications. From 63th to 90th is considered an off-label prescription. Regarding SM, mifepristone and misoprostol can be used within the I trimester under the law 648/96. All these different reimbursement schemes are used as part of the Italian pricing-reimbursement system.
To ensure appropriateness, a specific prescription form has been drafted to support clinicians in prescribing according to the correct reimbursement scheme gestational age, therapeutic indication and dosage must be reported in the prescription form.
The development of the prescription form required a deep knowledge of both the law under which the right of abortion is guaranteed and Italian reimbursement schemes. The prescription form was introduced in October 2022.
Prescriptions of all pharmacological treatments are ordinarily made through electronic software; therefore the prescription form was uploaded. Prescriptions from 01/01/2024 to 30/06/2024 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.
Prescription forms analysis showed that a total of 83 women were treated. In 53 cases the treatment was used for VPI and in 30 for SM. In 27% of cases, prescriptions were considered as per in-label. In 66% cases, prescriptions were allowed according to Law 648/96. In 7% of cases, prescriptions were off-label.
According to the development of reimbursement schemes, the prescription form will be implemented. Italy provides universal coverage for all citizens and residents; keeping it sustainable is one of the hardest challenges of these day. The contribution of hospital pharmacists in monitoring prescriptions has a pivotal role in making equal access to these treatments.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Margot DESCHAMPS, Nejib BORGAAOUI, Jimmy ROSE, Jennifer LE GRAND, Louise NICOLAS
One of the clinical pharmacy activities in the thoracic oncology department is the analysis the interactions between chemotherapy and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Cancer patients often seek alternative treatments which requires a rigorous evaluation of potential interactions. The goal of this study is to assess the methods used to analyze these interactions.
To ensure traceability of the analysis, a tracking table for requests was created. The requests, coming from doctors, nurses, or patients, are recorded with key information such as name, date of birth, and the purpose of the analysis. Five information sources were selected, including the Herbal Medicine section of MedlinePlus, the website of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), a database of plants and dietary supplements published by the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, a database from the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy, and a publication from the journal Medical Oncology (Vol 36, number 45, 2019).
In nine months, 25 interaction requests were processed, 70% of which were from doctors. The analysis took an average of 30 minutes and were completed within 24 to 48 hours. The interactions mainly concerned oral chemotherapies (n=18), particularly Osimertinib (n=13). The requests involved various CAM (essential oils, medicinal plants, dietary supplements), with an average of four products per request. Desmodium was the most frequently analyzed product (n=5). In total, for 24 CAM, including Desmodium, was not recommended for use after analysis due the drug interaction risk and modification of liver metabolism of chemotherapies.
It is difficult to prohibit CAM to patients, and most substances can be taken at recommended doses. However, determining the precise dosage at which an interaction with chemotherapy occurs is complex due to the lack of a single reference. Using various sources allows for cross-referencing expertise and obtaining complementary information. For instance, MedlinePlus offers a generalist approach, while MSKCC focuses on interactions in oncology. Using international sources broadens the analysis and fills geographical or cultural gaps.
For the future, we would like to develop a tool that compiles the five data sources in order to be exhaustive in our future analysis.
