EAHP represents over 29,000 hospital pharmacists across 36 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 professionals.
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 of Germany 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.
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.
Education and Research
Agnese Bosio, Chiara Carcieri, Sixberth Bugeraha, Silvia Scalpello, Giovanna Fazzina, Maria Carmen Azzolina, Gianluca Miglio, Annalisa Gasco
Drug dispensing and patient monitoring are institutional activities of hospital pharmacists worldwide. Nevertheless, the enhancement of managerial capabilities, hard and soft skills is crucial to tackle the critical challenge arising from geographical, epidemiological, demographic, cultural and legislative differences between different countries.
An initiative for cooperation and interaction between hospital pharmacists from different income countries has been developed.
The initiative was led by a pharmacist from an Italian hospital who was hosted by a hospital in southern Tanzania and spent a month collaborating with local hospital pharmacists, in order to streamline integrated workflows and optimise clinical care outcomes and professional training.
A Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) matrix was developed to assess the impact on three main areas: drug management, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical care.
Strengths: attitude for workflow standardisation, multidisciplinary and multicultural teamwork, sharing of expertise and best practice, speed up of limiting processes in order to develop activities in support of patients and clinicians, time and effectiveness in qualified staff training.
Weaknesses: complexity of procedures for drug import, hospital staff shortage (both pharmacists and physicians), absence of primary care and hospital-territory continuity of care network, clinical severity of patients admitted to hospital, imbalance between clinical pharmacy/pharmaceutical care in favour of drug management.
Opportunities: professional growth due to new healthcare challenges facing, soft skills improvement (problem solving, versatility, working under stress, teamwork, integration, overcoming prejudices), hard skills enhancement (logistics, international legislation, scientific English), budget optimisation for new investments (equipment/staff), improvement of patient safety and overall level of care.
Threats: language/cultural barriers, variable learning curve and resistance to change, barriers in social/professional relationships, individual variability in adaptation period, different patient perceptions of health and medical care.
Professional integration of hospital pharmacists from different educational and cultural backgrounds could enhance their ability to address different clinical, environmental and socio-economic issues, with the following outcomes: strengthening the professional pathway; optimising outcomes with consequent cost savings; improving the quality of healthcare for patients.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Greta DUSABE, Jonathan DE GREGORI, Teo TODESCO, Vanessa GOMES, Hélène FEYEUX, Marine AGULLO, Cyril BORONAD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma represent a significant public health issue. Medications are administered using inhaler devices (ID) that require prior demonstration to ensure their proper use. Incorrect usage of inhaler devices might have a major influence on the clinical effectiveness of the delivered drug.
The goal of our study was to detect potential errors in the manipulation of inhaler devices (ID) and to provide patients with appropriate information on their correct use in order to improve medication management.
For this study, every hospitalised adult patient with an ongoing treatment with ID underwent a pharmaceutical interview during their hospitalisation.
This interview was done using a questionnaire assessing the patient’s knowledge of their medications and a 12-items evaluation grid covering every step of proper inhalation technique.
Between June and August 2023, 27 patients were interviewed: the average age was 73 years. 34 ID manipulations were observed. Dry powder inhalers were the most prescribed DIs (68%), followed by pressurized metered dose inhalers (23%) and soft mist inhaler (9%). For 10 DIs (29%), no explanation was given to the patient. Furthermore, inhaler technique instructions were provided by a pulmonologist (65%), general practitioner (23%), pharmacist (4%), nurse (4%) and therapeutic education program (4%). The interviews revealed that 71% of patients were not familiar with the prescribed molecules or their mechanism of action. Out of the 34 DI manipulations, only 15% were performed perfectly, and 27% were not executed properly. The steps of deep exhalation before inhalation and breath-holding after inhalation were not performed in 70% and 62% of observations, respectively. Finally, 50% of patients did not rinse their mouths after using inhaled corticosteroids.
This study has highlighted the improper use of DIs, which can lead to a loss of therapeutic effectiveness. Therefore, we have developed 9 information booklets on the correct use of the DIs that describe different handling procedures for proper inhalation. These booklets are provided at the end of the interview. Educating patients on the proper use of these inhalation devices during the initial prescription or dispensing should lead to an overall improvement in patient care.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Samantha HUYNH, Catarina GONCALVES BARROSO, Sophie PATERNOTTE, Sofia DA SILVA MENDES, Claire JUDEL, Elvire MARTIN-LEMAIRE, Georges NICOLAOS, Chloé DUPONT, Nicolas CORNILLET
Raising awareness and ongoing training of healthcare professionals is a crucial criterion for High Authority for Health certification. Flashpharma provides reliable information, particularly for night-shift nurses. This becomes critical in a context of reduced physician presence and absence of pharmacists, and the increasing presence of temporary nurses due to staffing shortages.
The pharmacy department developed FlashPharma, an innovative training tool to enhance medication management within healthcare units. For instance, it contributes by promoting the proper use of high-risk medications (HRM) and risky medications (RM) by providing information to care teams as close to the patient as possible.
A working group created eleven sheets based on literature and adapted to the practices of adult hospitalization departments. Validated by medical experts and institutional committees, they include points to watch and key figures. They link up with our institutional protocols, our prescribing software and the points addressed by the visiting experts during the mock certification. Accessible by flashing QR codes strategically positioned or on our web platform, they serve as a basis for discussion with caregivers. Trainers included pharmacists, a pharmacy intern, and a hospital quality manager. Anonymous written questionnaires were used to gather feedback.
Two QR codes are placed on automated dispensing cabinets and mobile medical carts, linking to sheets on MHR, RM, and guidelines for proper drug crushing and administration via an enteral feeding tube. Another QR code on refrigerators provides information on drug storage and temperature alerts management. A label provides information on drugs prescribed outside the booklet, with six therapeutic equivalence tables validated by doctors.
Three sessions were attended by nurses, healthcare managers, orderlies, and doctors (n=18). Fifteen (83%) participants strongly agreed, and 3 (17%) agreed that they acquired new knowledge. All participants would recommend these sheets; 16 (89%) strongly expressed their willingness to participate in a second session.
Positive feedback highlighted the need for further education in various hospital units. Feedback on the use of QR codes by day and night teams will be sought during subsequent sessions and quantified using analytical dashboards. Appropriate continuing education initiatives will be implemented in paediatrics, intensive care and operating room departments.
Education and Research
RAQUEL AGUILAR SALMERÓN, LÍDIA MARTÍNEZ SÁNCHEZ, ANNA MARIA JAMBRINA ALBIACH, NEUS RAMS PLA, MANEL RABANAL TORNERO, MARIA ÀNGELS GISPERT AMETLLER, MILAGROS GARCÍA PELÁEZ, NÚRIA PI SALA, SANTIAGO NOGUÉ XARAU
HTDs in infants are defined as those that might cause severe or lethal poisoning in children. Some HTDs are considered “one pill killers”: those in which the ingestion of one unit, a single tablet or tablespoon, in an infant with a body weight of 10 kg, could be fatal. In Spain, there are 29 active ingredients (from seven therapeutic groups) considered “one pill killers”. Counseling and information are crucial activities developed by pharmacists that could help to avoid fatal intoxications.
A virtual and interactive course for pharmacists was designed to improve knowledge about highly toxic drugs (HTDs) in infants and potentially fatal intoxications. The education platform integrates microlearning and gamification methodologies, and the course could be followed via web or smartphone.
A group of experts, including toxicologist paediatricians and clinical pharmacists, carried out a literature review and determined the toxic dose for HTDs. They also determined the number of units (considering the most concentrated presentation) needed to achieve the potentially fatal dose in a 10 kg infant. A virtual microlearning platform (Snackson®) was chosen, and specific training content was designed. It will be offered to community pharmacists by our Catalan Ministry of Health.
This project has enhanced the collaboration between the group of experts and the Catalan Ministry of Health. An agreement has been signed, and, in this frame, the educational activity has been offered (Autumn 2023) to 250 community pharmacists.
A list of HTDs has been published (DOI: 10.1016/j.anpede.2020.02.007).
A video was recorded, addressed to the general population to inform them about the existence of HTDs. This video is a divulgation tool with recommendations to prevent drug poisoning and is periodically broadcast in the waiting rooms of health centers.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSHDRte7Nr8&t=14s).
The next objective will be to evaluate the impact of the training activity on community pharmacists and the usability of the virtual microlearning platform. Future plans also include the expansion of this education tool to other regions in Spain, and to explore the application of microlearning methodology to other areas of knowledge.
Education and Research
Pascaline Hubot, Anais Lumen , Marion Lefebvre, Audrey Christiaens , Claudia Tavernier , Olivia Dalleur
With the healthcare sector’s climate footprint accounting for 4.4% (2019) of global greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable development in healthcare is one of today’s challenges. It is important and urgent to highlight the simple actions that can be implemented to reduce these emissions and to promote them. The objectives were: (1) To identify eco-friendly practices related to the pharmacist’s work. (2) To design an animated video and (3) To raise awareness among pharmacy staff about sustainable development.
Students in their final year of a complementary master’s degree in hospital pharmacy at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) decided to take on the challenge of producing an animated video on eco-actions specific to the profession of hospital pharmacist.
Firstly, a literature review (PubMed, Google Scholar) on sustainable development in healthcare followed by a focus group was carried out to identify and select ten eco-actions most relevant to the hospital pharmacist’s job. We provide at least one example for each sector of the pharmacy. Secondly, a brainstorming session was held to select the most appropriate communication tool.
An 8-minute animated video was produced using Powtoon software (January 2023 version). This video is available free of charge on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKQVcVlP00). A poster was created for display in all hospital pharmacies in French-speaking Belgium to inform as many staff members as possible about best practices in sustainable development. A QR code was added to the poster to enable a direct access to the video. The project was presented by webinar for French-speaking Belgian hospital pharmacists in April 2023. This video is now included in the programme of a complementary Master’s degree in hospital pharmacy at the Université Catholique de Louvain.
In the face of climate challenges, raising awareness of sustainable development issues remains the watchword This educational video is a first step in initiating actions to make pharmacy more sustainable. It will be presented at the next annual meeting of French-speaking Belgian hospital pharmacists in 2024 and we hope that pharmacists will implement these concrete eco-friendly practices within their institutions.
Education and Research
Pascaline Hubot , Elise Francq, Guy Stichelbaut
Hospital pharmacy is a constantly evolving field that requires ongoing training. New teaching strategies based on the gamification of educational objectives have been making headlines for several years. These include EG.
An educational escape game (EG) has been designed and implemented for hospital pharmacists and pharmaceutical-technical assistants (Apth) working in one of Chirec’s distribution departments (Belgium). The objectives were : to provide continuing education and to improve various cross-disciplinary skills such as communication, team cohesion and critical thinking.
After considering the various constraints (dedicated time per session, number of players, etc.), a non-linear scenario was constructed. Distribution-specific themes were chosen for the creation of 12 enigmas, some in paper format and others in virtual format using Genially platform (November 2022 version). To ensure that the training sessions ran smoothly, hint envelopes containing the updated procedures were provided. Finally, the EG was pilot tested to get an idea of the game’s timing, to identify and correct any practical problems, and to adapt certain enigmas deemed too complex if necessary.
Nine sessions were held between December 2022 and September 2023. Each session included : briefing (5’), EG session (45’), debriefing (10’) and the distribution of an anonymous satisfaction survey at the end of the session (2’). Pharmacists (n = 24) and Apth (n = 15) respectively agreed (37.5% (n = 9) ; 66.7% (n = 10)) and strongly agreed (54.2 % (n = 13) ; 20% (n = 3)) that the EG improved their knowledge, and all participants found the EG to be a good teaching tool. Feedback was also very positive on cross-functional skills such as communication, team cohesion and critical thinking.
Futures sessions will be planned for newcomers to the pharmacy. Given the popularity of this educational tool and the suggestions for new topics, a new EG theme will certainly be on the agenda for 2024 pharmacy continuing education.
Education and Research
Franco Perna, Maria Elisabetta Uda, Maxime Annereau, Hail Aboudagga , André Rieutord, My Lan Vo
The process of pharmaceutical validation of chemotherapy involves several steps, and the hospital pharmacist must rely on multiple therapy protocols. In addition, pharmacists who have just finished university do not have the appropriate training for pharmaceutical validation. Thus, we decided to develop a tool to support the validation of chemotherapy, in which pharmacists can learn therapy protocols.
The hospital pharmacy has developed a pedagogical tool to support pharmaceutical validation in the context of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS).
We initially carried out a systematic review, following the PRISMA 2020 Statement, to find if there were any educational methods or tools exist to facilitate pharmaceutical validation in paediatric oncology.
Then, we contacted several pharmacists, currently employed in French hospitals and abroad, to understand how they train new pharmacists and resident students about chemotherapies validation. After this first stage, we focused our research on the content of our future educational tool. We created an easy-to-fill questionnaire to obtain information and meet from clinical pharmacists inside our department to understand which information was needed for the tool and what could be the most suitable format for them.
Regarding the systematic review, only two studies were identified, in which tools for pharmacists were developed, but none of these concerned the pharmaceutical validation of paediatric chemotherapy. The hospital centres contacted did not develop pedagogical tools, but some of them support the training with standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The questionnaire, in which 15 pharmacists (27% students) were interviewed, revealed that most preferred a tool in pdf (48%) and paper format (22%), containing information on pathophysiology (48%) and epidemiology (22%) of rhabdomyosarcoma, on chemotherapy protocols (32%) and dosage regimens (19%). For this reason, a pedagogical tool has been developed in pdf format and in the form of a paper booklet with the required information.
This tool could be the first presented regarding the validation of paediatric chemotherapy.
The future prospect would be to develop other tools to support pharmaceutical validation so that we can invest more and more and provide more and more quality training to new hospital pharmacists.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Eva Gomez-Costa, Purificacion Cid-Silva, Juan Luis Hurtado-Bouza, Laura Caeiro-Martinez , Pablo Feijoo-Vilanova, Andrea Luaces-Rodriguez, Sandra Rotea-Salvo, Alejandro Martinez-Pradeda , Maria Isabel Martin-Herranz
The purpose is to identify deficiencies and improvement areas in the outpatient consultation area for evaluation and proposal of possible solutions.
Implementation of an user satisfaction evaluation system for outpatient consultations at the Pharmacy Service of a tertiary-level hospital and initial results assessment.
The system was put into operation in January 2023 through a QR code placed in each consultation room and in the waiting areas accessible to all patients. The survey allows for differentiation between the different pharmacy service centers in the hospital, patient-caregiver patient category, age group, and whether it was the first consultation or an appointment for treatment continuation. Users can rate aspects related to information, waiting time from the appointment time to receiving attention, the professionalism of the staff, respect for privacy, pharmaceutical information about the treatment, and the facilities. This rating can be classified into: very good, good, bad, very bad, except for the waiting time: reasonable or excessive. Final question is an overall assessment of the service from 0 to 10. Survey allows for comments or suggestions.
A total of 86 surveys were conducted between January and September 2023. The majority were from users of the pharmacy service in the main building of the university hospital complex (82.6%). 10.6% were from first-time appointment and were mainly patients who answered (67.4%). Age groups: 65 years (12.8%). Regarding the evaluation, the results were: information about appointments, 51.8% very good; waiting time from the appointment time to receiving attention, 59.3% reasonable; professionalism of the staff, 59.3% very good; respect for privacy, 59.3% very good; pharmaceutical information about the treatment, 51.2% very good. The evaluation of facilities where pharmaceutical care is provided to the patient were: 33.7% bad and 9.3% very bad. The average score for the overall assessment was 6.7 points.
The evaluation of the information obtained from the surveys will serve as a basis for implementing corrective measures and possible improvements. The progressive increase in the number of survey will facilitate the detection of new issues and allow us to track changes in user satisfaction over time.
Education and Research
The evaluation of the use of the software was based on a retrospective analysis of all clinical trials introduced since 2020 and the interpretation of the results of a survey (carried out from July to August 2023) aimed at Clinical Research Associates (CRAs)
Evaluation of the use of an Integrated Research Management System based on a retrospective analysis of all clinical trials introduced into the software since 2020.
The evaluation of the use of the software was based on a retrospective analysis of all clinical trials introduced since 2020 and the interpretation of the results of a survey (carried out from July to August 2023) aimed at Clinical Research Associates (CRAs)
With the introduction of an integrated management system as a registration platform of investigational product receipt, dispensing and return, were introduced into the software 204 clinical trials.
Since its implementation in 2020, the integrated system has been authorised by the sponsor as a registration platform in 55 clinical trials, corresponding to 79% of clinical trials initiated since that date.
The clinical trials Unit grants remote access to the clinical trials information to CRAs through the filling out of a declaration. Since the adoption of this system, remote access to the platform has been granted to 35 CRAs.
According to the survey distributed between July and August:
-85.7% of CRAs use the system in their monitoring work.
-The use of System has been exclusively approved to replace paper records in 88.9% of active clinical trials (with the exception of receipt confirmation via IWRS – Interactive Web Response System).
-All the CRAs who answered the questionnaire consider remote access to clinical trial data to be an advantage.
– 77.8% believe that by using the platform the time spent on presential visits has been reduced.
The use of this type of system is essential to ensure the efficiency of the tasks carried out by research teams. The approval of system by the sponsor allowed a significant reduction of paper records and the CRA’s remote access to the platform has allowed the early detection of errors, as well as a substantial reduction on time spent on presential visits. The CRA’s remote access to the movements associated with the experimental product like temperature records, calibration certificates, CVs (Curriculum Vitae) and GCP’s (Good Clinical Practices). Although use of the platform has been increasing, some sponsors still do not authorise the exclusive use of the system. It is therefore essential to share the platform’s added value in order to change the traditional ways of management of clinical trials information.
Education and Research
Lorenzo Di Spazio, Daniele Mengato, Andrea Ossato, Vera Damuzzo, Marco Chiumente, Giulia Dusi, Sabrina Trippoli, Andrea Messori, Maria Cecilia Giron, Maria Chiara Silvani, Francesca Venturini
MD training, both undergraduate and postgraduate, appears to be scarce and, when available, seems to chase rather than anticipate real innovation. As a result, hospital pharmacists often have inconsistent levels of training that need to be investigated and harmonised.
Medical devices (MD) are serving an increasingly central role in clinical practice, improving patients’ health and quality of life. In recent years, the MD industry has grown considerably along with its innovation, sophistication and spending. This context requires not only technical, but also management and consulting skills, in particular for pharmacists, that should be adequately trained and continuously updated in order to increase their involvement in the patient care pathway. A special survey has been designed and sent out to hospital pharmacists in order to gauge their level of knowledge on this subject.
A survey, available from 1 October 2022 to 31 December 2022, was created by a pool of experts from an Italian scientific society (Italian Society of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics – SIFaCT) and shared through Google Forms to evaluate the state-of-the-art of MD’s clinical pharmacy practice, characterising the participants on their training background and needs in this field. The questions aimed to describe which courses (curricular or post-university) on MD had been followed by the participants to individuate the best possible interesting topics and the preferred training tools useful for the SIFaCT’s future educational activities.
Out of 142 responses, only 36 (25%) declared to have followed specific training courses on MDs while 102 (72%) stated that they were self-taught in this matter. 138 participants (97%) stated the need to broaden their knowledge through: training meeting (34%), sharing of procedures and/or operating instructions (33%), access to short editorial contributions (23%) and scientific studies (10%). The three most requested topics for future trainings were: innovative MDs and innovation governance (HTA), updates on legislation and technical insights on specific classes of MDs.
These results represent a background for developing a training project aimed to increase pharmacists’ knowledge on MDs.
MD topic, according to Regulation (EU) 2023/607 and 2017/745, is constantly updated and the pharmacist must be able to understand and implement the requirements of the national and European legislation to protect safety, safeguard public health and recognize technological innovation. Finally, these results highlight the need of specific university courses for pharmacists to develop technical and clinical skills on MDs.
