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.
The Early Career Network aims to empower early-career pharmacists by sharing opportunities, insights, and success stories from across 25 member countries.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected hospital pharmacy community: one story, one country, one pharmacist at a time.
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.
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
Martin Torrente. A; Picaza Iturricha. E; Carmona Oyaga. P; Lombera Sáez. L; Gemio Zumalave. PR; Illodo Becerra. JA; Ibarra Barrueta. O.
The Hospital Pharmacy Department developed a unit to dispense medications in individualized dosing systems for residents of health and social centers with the aim of improving pharmaceutical care. This initiative seeks to ensure safe, efficient and patient‑centred medication supply managementin centers.
A structured survey was designed and distributed to healthcare professionals to evaluate the service provided.
The questionnaire was created through a collaborative brainstorming session with the pharmaceutical team following literature review of existing tools. Thematic domains were defined based on practical experience and service priorities. Each section was assigned to a different pharmacist to ensure clarity, relevance and consistency. The final 36‑item survey, generated using Google Forms, included two descriptive questions (nursing home name and respondent’s professional role) and 34 evaluative questions grouped into four thematic areas: 14 questions on satisfaction with medication deliveries (blister-packed and non-blistered), 6 on incident resolution, 8 on logistics of transport and 6 on overall perception of the impact on professional workflow and patient safety. The survey combines Likert scales, multiple-choice items and open-ended fields to gather both quantitative and qualitative feedback.
The survey captures satisfaction with deliveries and labelling, completeness of orders, incident management and logistics aspects such as punctuality, packaging condition and integrity. It also gathers overall perceptions of the service’s impact on workflow and patient safety. Open‑ended fields encourage reporting of problems, suggestions and observations to ensure a comprehensive view of performance.
The questionnaire will be distributed to health and social centers. Data will be analysed to inform service improvements. Cronbach’s alpha is used to assess internal consistency and p‑values to examine significant differences. Findings will identify strengths and areas for improvement in the pharmaceutical care model, inform training strategies and support future policy decisions.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
P. Frandsen
M. Nissen
C. Olesen
Medicines dispensed by an automatic multidose dispensing system (ADS) was introduced on an orthopaedic surgery ward to improve the occupational health of pharmacy technicians. The hope was to release time for medication reconciliation, allowing pharmacy technicians to use their professional skills in supporting the orthopaedic surgeons and enhancing patient safety.
In the orthopaedic surgery ward, pharmacy technicians manually dispensed medication to inpatients and upon discharge. Prior to dispensing, they compared prescriptions in the hospital electronic patient journal to prescriptions patients receive at home. In case of discrepancies, the orthopaedic surgeon was contacted to make any necessary changes.
Due to pharmacy technicians’ occupational health being affected by long hours dispensing medicines, medicines dispensed by an ADS was introduced. Per agreement with the chief surgeon, pharmacy technicians took on expanded responsibilities, including authority to independently adjust certain prescriptions.
Pharmacy technicians were asked to register time used dispensing medicines and time used reviewing prescriptions before the workflow changes and again after six months.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the six pharmacy technicians involved before the workflow changes and again after six months.
Total pharmacy technician time spent dispensing medicines per day was reduced from 326 minutes (range: 175–546) to 203 minutes (range: 105–358).
Time spent on prescription review per day increased from 44 minutes (range: 18–77) to 93 minutes (range: 30–170).
Before introducing the ADS, several pharmacy technicians reported physical strain in their hands and mental fatigue after long hours of dispensing.
After the introduction of the ADS, there was a marked improvement in occupational health. Pharmacy technicians, who had experienced strain in their hands noticed improvement, and half of them also reported reduced mental fatigue.
Collaboration with surgeons was mentioned by pharmacy technicians as problematic before the new workflows but significantly improved, with pharmacy technicians feeling their expertise was appreciated by surgeons and ward staff.
Across Denmark, pharmacy technicians spend hours dispensing medicines in hospital wards. Implementing an ADS could relieve pharmacy technicians, improve occupational health and allow pharmacy technicians to focus on other tasks such as medication reconciliation, which would enhance patient safety.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Nabaa Dhuhaibawi, Cristin Ryan, Fionnuala Kennedy
Climate change is a major global health threat, and healthcare contributes approximately 4–5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Pharmaceuticals account for around one-quarter of this total through production, packaging, distribution, and disposal. Hospitals are under increasing pressure to reduce medicine waste and their associated carbon footprints. Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs) — electronic systems for storing and issuing medicines at the point of care — improve medication safety and efficiency, but their environmental benefits have not been well studied. Understanding whether ADCs can reduce the carbon footprint of dispensed medicines is therefore essential for promoting sustainable healthcare practices.
This study evaluated the impact of ADC implementation on the carbon footprint of dispensed oral medicines in an acute hospital in Dublin. A secondary objective was to examine the carbon footprint distribution of all single-ingredient oral medicines in the hospital formulary, identifying future opportunities for reducing medicine-related emissions.
A retrospective before-and-after study was conducted across six inpatient wards where ADCs were introduced between December 2023 and May 2024. Dispensing data were collected for equivalent two-week periods before and after the intervention using the Isoft® system. Only oral active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) medicines were included. Each medicine’s carbon footprint (gCO₂eq) was obtained from the Ecovamed® database and analysed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (α = 0.05). For the secondary analysis, all single-ingredient oral APIs from the hospital formulary were classified by their Medicine Carbon Footprint (MCF) rating using the YewMaker® database.
The total carbon footprint of dispensed medicines decreased from 262.58 kg CO₂eq before ADC implementation to 176.94 kg CO₂eq after. Among 99 medicines dispensed in both periods, the median carbon footprint per medicine fell significantly from 644 to 352 g CO₂eq (p < 0.001; r = –0.37). In the formulary analysis, most medicines had low (31.7%) or medium (35.2%) MCF ratings, while only two items—abiraterone acetate and methenamine hippurate—had very high (>1000 g CO₂eq) values.
ADCs appear to significantly reduce medicine-related carbon emissions, suggesting that digital automation supports sustainable pharmacy practice. Future efforts should target high-MCF drugs, promote greener procurement, and expand environmental life-cycle data to maximise carbon reduction across hospital pharmacy services.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Martín Santamaria, A. López Fernández, A. Menchén Viso, B. Sanabrias Fernández de Sevilla, R. Folguera Olias, C. Guerrero Feria, I. Herrero Collado, L. De España Zaforteza, P. Pérez García, E. Sánchez Guerrero, A.
Unnecessary disposal of high-cost injectables is often triggered by home storage errors, placing a burden on the public health system. The aim was to quantify avoidable expenditure through pharmacist review, and to identify opportunities for the education of targeted patients, prompted by these incidents.
A pharmacist-led stability verification program for refrigerated medicines stored at home was implemented. When an out-of-fridge incident was reported, stability was assessed by a pharmacist and, when safe, continued use was authorised, avoiding replacement costs.
A retrospective analysis was conducted of incidents recorded in an Excel database from 2021 to 2024. For each case, the following variables were collected: active drug, units affected, units saved, and costs (potential replacement and avoided cost). Stability decisions were based on summaries of product characteristics (SmPCs), manufacturer information, and published temperature-excursion evidence (Stabilis database, Fridge Stability Tool by NHS) interpreted against the reported time/temperature exposure.
From 2021 to 2024, 115 incidents were recorded, involving 288 injectable units; 66 were authorized for continued use, avoiding 18.590€ in replacement costs. Savings by year and share of the total were: 6.922€ in 2021 (37,2%), 5.498€ in 2022 (29,6%), 4.012€ in 2023 (21,6%), and 2.159€ in 2024 (11,6%). By year, injectable units saved/affected were: 2021: 28/46, 2022: 19/150, 2023: 6/33, 2024: 13/59. The most frequently implicated drugs were adalimumab (38), etanercept (10), darbepoetin alfa (10), filgrastim (7), and golimumab (4). These drugs were also the most frequently consumed across this period. A substantial proportion of excursions were cleared for safe continued use through a structured pharmacist verification process.
An infographic will be developed to standardise patient counselling: correct home storage (fridge placement, do-not-freeze warnings, time-out-of-refrigeration windows by product), safe travel with injectables (cool bags/ice packs, temperature monitoring, air/rail travel tips, hotel-fridge checks), and recommended actions after an incident—product quarantine, time/temperature recording, and immediate contact with the hospital pharmacy (email/phone). The infographic will be provided at first dispense and after any excursion, and its impact will be evaluated through subsequent incident and saved units rates.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
E. Bredenberg, M. Knuutila-Jerkku, P. Halonen, E.W. Gröndahl
On the ward, attaching infusion lines to cytotoxic doses is performed alongside busy clinical work, often resulting in delays. Centralized attachment of infusion lines to patient-specific cytotoxic doses in the hospital pharmacy cleanroom streamlines the chemotherapy workflow. It also enhances medication safety by improving the quality of ready-to-administer doses compared to the previous attachment practices on the ward.
In Turku, patient-specific cytotoxic doses are prepared for administration in the hospital pharmacy’s centralized compounding unit, located in EU GMP-compliant cleanrooms. This ensures aseptic preparation and emphasizes occupational safety. As part of this project, we included Cytoset Line® infusion sets pre-filled with saline into patient-specific cytotoxic doses during the centralized compounding process in the cleanroom.
To improve medication safety in chemotherapy, we held a multidisciplinary review of the process, consulted other hospitals for their practices and experiences, and assessed the stability of pre-attached infusion lines compared to non-attached doses.
The process of filling Cytoset Line® infusion lines with saline was introduced to pharmacists. The integrity of the closed infusion system was tested by adding caramel colour dye to the infusion bag. The effect of clamp placement was tested by positioning it at different points along the filled line. Caramel colour leakage into the line indicated insufficient sealing.
Performing the line attachment in a Grade A cleanroom improves aseptic conditions and reduces the risk of microbiological contamination. Occupational safety is enhanced by minimizing nurses’ exposure to cytotoxic agents. Centralized preparation optimizes the use of personnel resources. Correct placement of the clamp below the infusion port is critical in preventing contamination.
Expansion of the practice to other hospital units
Assessing the feasibility of attaching infusion lines to doses intended for extended storage
Standardizing processes: adopting uniform infusion lines across all oncology units (requirement for pre-attached infusion lines)
Clinical Pharmacy Services
André Maia; Maria Teixeira; Ana Catré; Inês Margalho; Joana Duque; Marisa Costa; Marta Susana; Miguel Paulo; Tomás Sousa; Vânia Pereira; Teresa Pereira
Tuberculosis(TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, typically transmitted through the airborne route. Despite being a curable disease, 1.5 million people die from tuberculosis each year, making it the leading cause of infectious death worldwide.[1,2] In Portugal, the most recent data from the National TB Program indicate a notification rate of 14.5 cases per 100,000 population in 2023. Regarding multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases, the number of cases has doubled.[3] There was a need to restructure the anti-tuberculosis drug management circuit in the Pneumology Diagnostic Centers(CDP), creating a Personalized Distribution of Anti-tuberculosis Therapy (DPTB), to facilitate administration, improving adherence to therapy and therapeutic reconciliation.
Pharmaceutical consultation was implemented in a pulmonological diagnostic center and the interventions performed during the Pharmaceutical Consultation (FC) were analyzed.
The pilot project began in collaboration between Pharmaceutical Services and the responsible Physician. Each month, the pharmacist visits the CDP and validates the medical prescription and prepares the DPTB for one month. During the FC, the information recorded by the physician in the previous consultation is verified, patient compliance is assessed, and therapeutic reconciliation is structured. A manual and tools to support healthcare professionals were developed, essential for improving the efficiency of TB treatment.
Between April and August 2025, 38 FC were carried out, in which a total of 11 patients with median age 59 years, 7 (64%) female and 4 (36%) male. The patients monitored were divided into: 5(45.5%) with latent TB, 3(27.3%) with active TB, and 3(27.3%) with atypical mycobacteria. The TB infection, 1(33.3%) case of pulmonary TB, 1(33.3%) of lymph node, and 1 (33.3%) of ocular TB. During the FC, 7 interventions were carried out: 1 drug interactions, 3 teaching and promotion of adherence to therapy, and 3 on adverse reactions (AE).
Pharmacists’ interventions in educating patients, counseling on AEs, monitoring and alerting them to risk situations significantly contribute to reducing treatment abandonment, one of the greatest challenges in tuberculosis control. In the future, we plan to conduct these in-person consultations in Primary Care settings for patients referred to by their physician.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Natalie Kuchik PharmD, MS, BCSCP and Jacalyn Rogers PharmD, MS, BCPS, CPEL, FASHP
Pediatric chemotherapy compounding requires exceptional precision and strict adherence to USP and standards due to the high-risk nature of the medications and vulnerable patient population. Traditional manual compounding workflows are prone to human error and operational inefficiencies, especially in busy hospital settings. To address these challenges, IV workflow technology was implemented to enhance patient safety, improve compliance, and streamline pharmacy operations.
An IV workflow technology system was introduced in a pediatric hospital pharmacy to support chemotherapy compounding. The system included barcode scanning for drug and diluent verification, image capture of each preparation step, and remote pharmacist verification. This allowed pharmacists to review compounding steps in real time without being physically present in the cleanroom, improving both safety and workflow efficiency.
The implementation was carried out prospectively, with pharmacists transitioning to remote in-line verification using the IV workflow platform. The system flagged incorrect drug or diluent scans and captured images of each preparation step for pharmacist review. This setup enabled pharmacists to detect and intervene in real time when errors occurred, such as incorrect labeling or volume discrepancies. Data were collected on scan alerts, image-based interventions, and workflow metrics, including preparation throughput and pharmacist time allocation.
The technology successfully identified all instances of incorrect drug and diluent selections before finalization, significantly reducing the risk of medication errors. Image review further enhanced error detection, particularly for labeling and preparation accuracy. Removing pharmacists from the cleanroom improved workflow flexibility and reduced interruptions, resulting in a 25% increase in preparation throughput. Compliance with USP and standards improved due to automated documentation and verification processes.
Future steps include expanding the use of IV workflow technology to other high-risk compounding areas and evaluating its impact on broader pharmacy operations. Additional enhancements may include integrating the system with electronic health records and exploring further automation to support scalability. Continued monitoring of safety, compliance, and efficiency metrics will guide optimization and inform best practices for pediatric and adult oncology settings.
Production and Compounding
Natalie Kuchik PharmD, MS, BCSCP and Jacalyn Rogers PharmD, MS, BCPS, CPEL, FASHP and Victoria Lubarsky RPh, MBA., BCACP
Due to evolving and increasingly stringent USP requirements, multiple cleanroom construction and renovation projects were necessary to ensure continued compliance. These upgrades were critical to maintaining sterile compounding capabilities, keeping pharmacy operations uninterrupted, and safeguarding patient care.
Each cleanroom underwent a structured post-construction commissioning process, including environmental certification, workflow validation, staff re-training, and installation of continuous monitoring systems. Pharmacy operations were strategically coordinated to minimize disruption during each phase.
Third-party experts conducted ISO-class environmental testing and microbial sampling. Pharmacy teams performed workflow simulations to assess layout and aseptic technique. Updated SOPs were implemented, and staff received targeted training. Real-time monitoring tools were installed to track pressure, temperature, and particle counts.
All renovated cleanrooms achieved full USP compliance prior to go-live. Pharmacy operations remained efficient, with no delays in patient care. Staff confidence improved, and workflow efficiency increased by 25%. No adverse events or regulatory citations were reported.
We plan to develop a standardized cleanroom commissioning protocol for future projects and share it across our hospital network. Ongoing monitoring, periodic revalidation, and continuous staff education will support sustained compliance and operational excellence.
Introductory Statements and Governance
Chiara Cardinali, Massimo Fioretti, Carlo Polidori
In some realities, recent laws allow the administration of hospital medications in outpatients setting by defining two dedicated paths: protected discharge and taking charge directly on the territory. This therapeutic approach is made possible by the collaboration between the clinicians and the community doctors.
The project aims to examine the continuity of pharmaceutical care in our reality taking into account some clinical outcomes, management implications as well as economic aspects.
The Pharmacy Unit analysed all documentation, including prescriptions, from 2022 to the beninning of 2025, aiming to assess safety and adherence outcomes.
A written survey was conducted among community doctors and clinicians in order to evaluate their level of knowledge of the law and to collect their feedback.
Analysis of the 2023 final balance sheet enabled us to make some economic considerations.
Finally, we interviewed home nurses to find out their perception of risk related to the administration of hospital medications in outpatients setting.
There were 45 total runs, and the Infectious Diseases Unit was the most active department; consistently,77% of prescriptions included antimicrobials. None of the 140 pharmacovigilance reports was related to this pharmaceutical approach.
51 doctors completed the survey: among them, only 24 doctors were familiar with this law. Both community doctors and clinicians claim that the difficulty in collaborating with each other undermines the feasibility of the approach and they require greater support from hospital pharmacists.
A total of 678 days of hospitalisation were avoided: the financial savings amounted to EUR 1,130,904 over the three-year period.
Safety and collaboration were the themes that emerged from the 11 interviews that have been collected: nurses mentioned the risk of storing medicines at home, the transcription of therapies on several documents and the lack of protocols for managing emergencies at home.
In conclusion, this law represents an important opportunity for the quality and sustainability of pharmaceutical care, but it requires a collaboration between hospital doctors, community doctors and nurses that should be implemented with a solid and tailored organisational model.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
L. DE AGUSTIN SIERRA, P. FLOX BENITEZ, B. MONTERO PASTOR, A. SUCH DIAZ, P. TEJEDOR PRADO, E.A. ALVARO ALONSO, E. IZQUIERDO GARCIA, N. FONT TARRES, M. SANCHEZ LORENZO, I. ESCOBAR RODRIGUEZ.
Medication dispensing errors were detected more frequently in our Pharmacy Department. This errors were related with procedures among pharmacy technicians (PT).
Formation programs bettween PT are implemented in our Pharmacy Department in other critical areas such as compounding or cytotoxic drugs but not dispensing.
It its known that a lack of knowledge of established work procedures among pharmacy technicians (PT) can contribute to a potential increase in medication dispensing errors. On the other hand, medication dispensing errors are preventable incidents in the process of distributing and administering drugs that can cause avoidable harm to patients.
Implementation of a procedure manual to define operative procedures carried out by PT that need improvement in the safe dispensing medications and establish appropriate measures for safer and efficient work.
Observational, prospective, descriptive study conducted by pre and post survey (1-5) during July and september 2025 among PT. The total number of surveys was 28 (15 pre and 13 post).
A structured questionnaire was developed with closed question (pre and post) about: (1) medication distribution and dispensing, (2) knowledge of stablished operative procedures, (3) clinical pharmacy services and medicine information, (4) personal abillities and skilss and (5) necesity for training and information.
Surveys included 11 questions using Google Forms Likert scale of 1-5, being 5 maximum score.
Post-survey was conducted after three-months period training for PT.
In pre-survey, medication distribution and dispensing received the lowest score (3 on five-point scale). The rest of responses showed a satisfaction degree (4) also for necesity for training and information.
After manual implementation, post-survey questionnaire shows that manual enhanced work procedures and medication distribution, dispensing (3 pre Vs 4 post), self-confidence and autonomy in established procedures. (4 on five-point scale). Moreover, overall satisfaction about was satisfied (4).
The implementation of a procedure manual has enhanced generally satisfied between PT. Although our survey shown this enhances, we are conscious about importance and necessity of reglated formation in Pharmacy Department in order to safe dispensing medications and safer and efficient work. For that reason, reglated formation has been scheduled among PT.
