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
MV VILLACAÑAS PALOMARES, CM VALENCIA SOTO, A GARCIA-AVELLO FERNANDEZ-CUETO, M MARTIN LOPEZ, S BARBADILLO VILLANUEVA, M OCHAGAVIA SUFRATEGUI, V MARTINEZ CALLEJO, M RIOJA CARRERA, P DEL RIO ORTEGA, M VALERO DOMINGUEZ
This drug is administered continuously during a 28 days infusion. Due to the risk of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) it is initially administered in the inpatient setting and then transitioned to the outpatient, requiring an important interdisciplinary coordination to optimize the process.
Home-based chemotherapy offers several potential benefits: reduced exposure to hospital infections, less disruption of routine and family life, lower health care cost, …
Pharmacy and haematology services designed a workflow for the outpatient administration of blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager approved for relapsed ALL.
Here, we describe our experience transitioning from inpatient to outpatient setting.
First step was to review blinatumomab stability, as well as material compatibility and transfer set necessaries for both hospital and domiciliary administration.
Reconstituted blinatumomab may be stored at refrigerated (2-8°C) for up to 24 hours. Prepared infusion bag (with preservative) may be stored at room temperature (up to 27°C) for up to 96 h and for up to 10 days refrigerated (2-8ºC).
Second step was to establish with the haematology service the patient´s scheduled visits to the hospital to ensure maximum stability of the blinatumomab preparation.
We decided to prepare the blinatumomab infusion bag every three- or four-days beginning on Monday, Thursday or Friday avoiding visits on weekends.
In order to take advantage of the rest of the vial, we diluted itn a new bag with stabilizer solution but without in-line filter for the next preparation. We noted the date of elaboration and the amount of medication remaining.
We used this preparation initial in each new visit add the dose necessary and an in-line filter. We primed the filter with the prepared solution for infusion
Out of the four patients who have received blinatumomab in our hospital(May 2020 – September 2021), three have benefited from this circuit.18 doses were administered at home, avoiding 68 days of hospital admission.
Outpatient administration could reduce health expenditure, therefore allowing for additional investments in new therapies.
Since the use of blinatumomab is not very common and there is not much evidence at this respect, our experience can help other Pharmacy Services to implement this circuit.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Robert Baghdarsarian, Karin Hellström, Mattias Paulsson
The health care providers at the Paediatric Emergency Ward discovered that when opening glass ampoules of morphine by snapping the top off, this did not result in the normal straight cut by the score. A close examination also revealed residual glue and the glass at the ampoule neck not being fully transparent. The sealed outer packaging also seemed manipulated for most of the morphine ampoules stored in the ward medication room. Simultaneously, staff discovered that one of the paediatric patients had not received the anticipated analgesic effect of the ordered morphine infusion.
This case report describes how the compounding unit of Uppsala University Hospital (CU) was able to assist in analysing the contents of morphine glass ampoules and infusion solutions, in a case with suspected tampered containers
CU has invested in an easy-to-use spectrophotometer to check the concentration and identity of chemotherapy prepared in the clean rooms. The primary focus is to have an independent system to check preparations done by the chemotherapy robot e.g. in connection with software upgrades. This equipment was within hours adapted to be used for morphine analyses. The results clearly show that the infusion labelled 10 mg/mL was tampered with, containing only 0,4 mg/mL morphine. Samples were also sent to the Microbiological laboratory to check for risks for microbial exposure during infusion of tampered morphine.
CU was able to provide results of the contents of all ampoules, and the infusion solution administered to the patient, within a couple of hours and without any cost. The results showed that all ampoules had been emptied from its labelled contents and likely refilled with Sodium Chloride 9 mg/mL. The infusion solution given to patient was also likely prepared from a tampered ampoule. These results were crucial information in the conversation with parents about the incident, and the subsequent report to the police regarding the probable violence offence.
We recommend that all healthcare settings evaluate the possibility to collaborate closer with the hospital pharmacy, and in new ways.
Thanks to our CU being an integral part of the hospital with close interaction with wards, this rapid handling was possible to stage.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
MAR GOMIS-PASTOR, ANNA DE DIOS LÓPEZ, MARIA ANTONIA MANGUES, MIRIAM ORS, MERITXELL CUCALA, CATERINA SANPOL, VICTOR ROBERT, XAVIER BORRAS, GEMMA CRAYWINCKEL
HTP are therapeutically complex patients who may benefit from an intensive telematic follow-up. Moreover, human relations among patients and health providers may be enhanced to improve patients’ empowerment with their health care. Additionally, interdisciplinary eHealth projects lead to increased interaction among health providers, expanding advanced patient-centered care in healthcare systems.
An eHealth program directed to heart transplant patients (HTP) was implemented. The software developed was called mHeart and consists on a mobile phone application complemented by a website(https://n9.cl/ajut). A pilot study to validate the software and a clinical trial were conducted. This tool is now extended into clinical practice.
This project and its potential scalability has achieved the creation of a well-established framework involving among relevant others the Legal Department, the Information Systems Department, the patient data protection supervisor, and the Innovation Research Institute.
The success and the scalability of these innovative projects in our centre depended on health providers’ engagement with eHealth, new interoperability solutions, adequate institutional support, and government reimbursement models.
The clinical trial conducted in 134HTP has demonstrated to improve recipients’ adherence to immunosuppressants (85% mHeart follow-up vs 46% conventional follow-up)[OR=6.7 (2.9;15.8),P-value=.000], to improve patients’ experience of therapeutic regimens and to reduce in-clinic facilities because the mHeart follow-up. (65% mHeart follow-up vs 35% conventional follow-up)[OR=3.4 (1.7;6.9),P-value=.001].
This eHealth experience has allowed continuing creating evidence on the use of the eHealth in other populations: an onco-hematological platform, EMMA(Ehealth Medical self-Management Aid), has been designed including diverse profiles depending on the clinical specifications (e.g. multiple myeloma or bone marrow transplant conditions); MyPlan has been adapted to perform an interdisciplinary follow-up of any multimorbid population with polypharmacy. Thus, the system can be used in any multimorbid patients by activating or omitting certain modules that define the target patients’ specific comorbidities (e.g. glycemia module or blood pressure module).
The new EMMA and MyPlan will be clinically tested in diverse trials in 2020 including several health care interdisciplinary teams, including the emergency setting, onco-hematology, migraine, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk, among relevant others. In addition, other Spanish centers are implementing the eHealth model and the software in their Institutions assisted by the experience gathered.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Gösta Lööf, Malin Kuno Edvardson, Jessica Loayza, Louise Furubom
According to national guidelines, 60-70% of women >50 years with a fragility fracture should receive treatment to prevent further consequences of osteoporosis. In Sörmland, only about 16% of eligible patients received such treatment in 2015. To increase this number it was decided to start a coordinator-based FLS. CPs were chosen as coordinators since they were already integrated members of the health-care team at the clinic, conducing medication reviews, with the required competence to assess patients and suggest suitable medication therapy for osteoporosis.
By initiative of the county task force for osteoporosis in the county of Sörmland, Sweden, a project with a fracture liaison service (FLS) with clinical pharmacists (CPs) as coordinators was developed in collaboration with the orthopedic clinic at one of the region´s hospital; Mälarsjukhuset.
The project was initiated in December 2015. The CPs were given permission to send electronic referrals to DXA to be performed and to the general practitioners (GPs) for further investigation and initiation of treatment for osteoporosis. The CPs identified eligible patients at the orthopedic ward and at the emergency department (ED). The CPs visited and interviewed patients treated at the ward while patients treated at the ED instead received a phone call or a letter, to get information regarding their risk factors. Thereafter the CPs decided how to proceed; referral to DXA, referral to a GP or no further investigation or actions. For patients treated at the ward, the CPs would discuss their findings with the orthopedist on duty.
For patients included from December 2017 to October 2016, the percentage of who received treatment has raised to at least 25%. For about 50% of the patients, a full year has not yet passed since the date of fracture so the result may still improve. According to two small surveys, the orthopedists and the GPs are very positive to the new service and want it to continue.
Because of the success, the service will be permanented and implemented thoroughout the county. Opportunities to further improve FLS have been identified continuously and changes made accordingly to reach the goal of 60-70% treated patients.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
H. Thoong
PETC admits approximately 15 000 patients per year and is a high user of high cost drugs. Traditionally, a pharmacist provided a clinical and supply service with no technical support. Frequently, prescriptions were written late, dispensed items were lost and patients waited unnecessarily to receive treatment. Furthermore, patient non-attendance and medication re-supply due to misplacement of original dispensed items led to stockpiling of medicines.
A pharmacy technician (PT) coordinated medication service was introduced onto the Paediatric Elective Treatment Centre (PETC) to decrease patient waiting time (PWT) and drug wastage.
Prior to admission, patients requiring medication were identified by a PT. If medication had been prescribed, this was transcribed onto a pharmacy order form. The prescription chart and order form were clinically checked by a pharmacist. If the drug had not been prescribed, prescribers were contacted. The medication was dispensed and delivered to the ward in advance. The PT ensured all required medication was readily available on the ward. Data on PWT, time to process medication orders, cost of unused drugs and number of items available prior to attendance were collected for a 6 month period.
Total cost savings achieved due to returned unused medication amounted to £82 074.
To extend the role of the PT in PETC. Therefore, the PT will undertake basic medication reconciliation, assessment of patients’ own drugs and notify the clinical pharmacist of patients requiring a full medication review.
Introductory Statements and Governance
Lars-Åke Söderlund, Marie Olsson Nerfeldt , Birgitta Elfsson
