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.
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.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
D. PROTZENKO (1) (2), Y. GONZALEZ (2), M. TASHAN (2), J. CARDI (2), A. PLAN (1) (2).
(1) CHICAS, CLINICAL PHARMACY, GAP, FRANCE.
(2) CHICAS, HOME-HOSPITALIZATION, GAP, FRANCE.
Our service area spans four departments in France, encompassing numerous mountain valleys with weather-dependent access, making deployment challenging. Additionally, some patients are over two hours’ drive from our hospital.
We developed a territorial network by integrating hospital and extra-hospital structures into our home-hospitalization logistics circuit. This integration allowed us to strategically place equipment storage points across our region, enhancing the speed of care in emergencies.
We utilized a computerized tool to map areas accessible within 30 minutes by car and identified strategic points (both hospital and extra-hospital) to maximize coverage with minimal investment.
To optimize operations and improve response times, we established equipment storage points with ready-to-use kits. These kits, created through multi-disciplinary meetings to address key emergency scenarios, are designed to address a range of situations, including post-operative treatments, pressure sores, and end-of-life care, which are particularly prevalent in our population. The variability of care settings—such as patients’ homes, short-term rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care facilities— is also considered. This approach ensures that nurses and doctors can access the necessary equipment at all time, regardless of their location or the specific care requirements. We formalized partnerships to ensure the presence of these kits at designated sites, which are now referenced on a map accessible to our team. Quality processes were implemented to maintain kit quality and prevent expiry.
Immediate deployment of equipment for home hospitalization is now possible, regardless of patient location or weather conditions.
We are expanding our network by recruiting additional partners to enhance our local coverage. This strategy will also apply to areas with shared medical and paramedical skills, improving our responsiveness, particularly in end-of-life care situations. We will also forge new partnerships to broaden our capabilities, enabling other hospitals to prepare patient materials or medications, or to be used as parcel delivery service.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
R. Malberger
A. Shinawi
M. Hamed said
C. Hamza
We developed a unique ambulatory medical and pharmaceutical service providing treatment for children with autoimmune diseases at Carmel hospital.
The ambulatory children’s clinic in Carmel hospital provides several medical services for children including those with autoimmune fever diseases, treated with canakinumab (ILARIS), a monoclonal antibody drug .
The ILARIS is given individually at the clinic during morning hours simultaneously with other treatments. The dosage is calculated individually, the remaining drug goes to waste. The treatment is not supplied by a permanent medical team.
Our initiative aims to establish a specific multidisciplinary service for ILARIS patients which will increase the quality, safety and economic efficiency of the treatment.
1. The current medical service was analyzed including all needs and goals, infrastructures and obstacles.
2. The pharmacy presented a multidisciplinary plane addressing all goals and difficulties suggesting a specific time scheduled for ILARIS treatments exclusively, involving a personal rheumatologist, a trained nursing team and a pharmacist dispensing process.
3. Assessment tools including financial formulas and patients’ questionnaire were established before implementation began.
1. The patient receives the services of a personal rheumatologist and a familiar trained nursing staff.
2. From the pharmacy perspective the intervention led to a decrease in prescription, preparation and administration errors as well as an impressive economical decrease in the cost of drug waste, saving more than 400,000$ over 13 months.
3. Questionnaires collected show increase in patients and family satisfaction.
4. Patients do not loose school or work days.
5. Community bonds between families of ILARIS patients were formed.
creating a unique treatment plan for ILARIS patients, collaboration of nursing, pharmacy and medical teams led to a significant improvement in the quality of care, economic efficiency and an increase in the satisfaction of patients. Our initiative achieved its aim in a short time and can be
applied to a verity of medical services in diverse settings in any clinic or hospital worldwide.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Elena Blanco Saiz
It is estimated that over 80% of patients receiving treatment with cetuximab experience acneiform eruptions and/or skin dryness and flaking. Approximately 15% of these cutaneous reactions are severe, including cases of skin necrosis.
These skin lesions may predispose patients to secondary infections, potentially leading to complications such as cellulitis, erysipelas, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, necrotizing fasciitis, or sepsis, which can result in death.
A kit consisting of an alcohol-free moisturizing cream, an alcohol-free gel, and a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 100 was provided to patients undergoing treatment with cetuximab for daily skin care.
When the oncology department prescribes cetuximab, the patient is informed that a kit will soon be dispensed.
The pharmacy service reviews daily the patients who will initiate treatment with cetuximab in the day treatment center. If there is a patient starting treatment, nursing staff notify us when they arrive at the center, and the pharmacy dispenses a kit while explaining its contents.
We periodically call the patient to check whether they are continuing to use it correctly, if they have noticed any changes in their skin, what changes they have observed, and whether they have needed to take antibiotics and/or topical corticosteroids.
• To date, the kit has been dispensed to 21 patients undergoing treatment with cetuximab.
• It empowers patients by actively involving them in their care.
• It prioritizes the overall well-being of the patient, as it may prevent the onset of dermatological side effects and the use of topical corticosteroids and oral antibiotics.
• The process facilitates the pharmacist’s engagement with the patient in the day treatment center and throughout the treatment, allowing for addressing concerns, answering questions, and providing information about adverse effects.
• It promotes the creation of a multidisciplinary team by involving collaboration between oncology, nursing, and pharmacy.
We present a practical approach that enhances patient safety during the oncology process.
This practice can be adopted by any center.
It is necessary to continue collecting data to obtain reliable results regarding its impact on improving patient safety.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Carine Schuurmans
• The use of gloves in medication administration can vary depending on several factors, including the specific healthcare hygienic policies, local guidelines, and the type of medication being administered. There is no uniform practice across all of Europe.
• According to the Dutch guideline on administration of parenteral medication disposable gloves are traditionally used during parenteral medication administration.
• Most parenteral medications do not pose a significant hazardous risk and the administration of ready to use preparations does not pose a significant infection risk.
• Re-evaluation of the Dutch guideline on administration of parenteral medication from a sustainability point of view.
• Reducing unnecessary glove usage in medication administration.
• Re-evaluating the need for disposable gloves from both an infection prevention and medication hazard point of view.
• Discussion with experts and users.
• Implementation of findings both in the inpatient and outpatient departments.
• Overall growing attention to correct glove usage.
• Reduction of use of disposable gloves during parenteral medication administration and other medical procedures
• CO2-, land occupation and water reduction by respectively 6000 CO2 eq, 600m2, 300m3 and 3500 €/month
• Revision of the Dutch guidelines on administration of parenteral medication
Clinical Pharmacy Services
This service emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the collection of hospital medication posed patients, many of whom were immunocompromised, at higher risk for COVID-19 and other infections, as they had to enter the hospital facilities. Over time, it was observed that this service was not only beneficial during periods of high SARS-CoV-2 transmission. RutiCar enabled medication pickup from the patient’s own private vehicle, avoiding necessity for parking as well as entering the hospital.
In June 2021, the Pharmacy Department of Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital(HUGTP) established an outpatient medication dispensing point located outside the hospital premises, “RutiCar”. This initiative facilitated patients in collecting their chronic treatments without entering the hospital, enabling direct access from their vehicles.
A new preparation and dispensing circuit was established. The patients specify their preferred date for medication pickup by telephone, e-mail or by a form after scanning a QR code. Pharmacy technicians undertake the responsibility of scheduling the appointment and preparing the medications one day prior to the designated dispensing day. The prepared medications are transported early in the morning to a temporary medication storage facility situated within the hospital’s parking area. Finally, the patient arrives at RutiCar at their scheduled appointment time and, without the need to exit their vehicle, collects their medication.
This service is aimed at patients with chronic treatments who have been on their medication for an extended period (>6 months) and show adherence. Pharmacists play an important role in this context, by ensuring that patients meet the criteria to initiate RutiCar service, reviewing treatments to validate their continuation and overseeing medication pickups to enhance patient adherence.
This service has led to an improvement in the medication dispensing process, assisting 10.46%(282) of the monthly average of patients who collect hospital medication(2695) and extending the hours for medication pickup, facilitating the work-life balance for patients and enhancing access to patients from remote areas.
In the future, improvements can be considered, such as implementing reminders for patients who have not yet scheduled their appointments and are projected to run out of medication soon, or automated appointment systems.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
MARCELO DOMINGUEZ CANTERO, CARMEN MARIA DOMINGUEZ SANTANA, MARCELINO MORA CORTES, ESMERALDA RIOS SANCHEZ, JUAN MANUEL BORRERO RUBIO
Patients who withdraw medication from outpatient pharmacies in Spanish hospitals are provided with pharmaceutical care and pharmaceutical care stratification tools in specific outpatient pharmacy consultations. These patients are usually multi-pathological with multiple drug interactions, contraindications, and important adverse effects. Therefore, during the hospital admission of these outpatients, it was appropriate to provide continuous care from the hospital pharmacy. Before the implementation of the protocol, there was no specific and systematic follow-up of hospitalized outpatients.
Implementation of a protocol that provides pharmaceutical care to outpatients during hospitalization, ensuring continuity of care through the pharmacy service.
The main problem with the implementation was the real-time detection of hospitalized outpatients. The development of a software tool to facilitate the location of patients provided an impetus for the implementation of the project. The computer tool selected patients who met the inclusion criteria (hospitalized outpatients with medication withdrawal in the outpatient unit in the last two months). Patients treated with erythropoietin and colony stimulants were excluded.
Seventy-nine patients were included in the study between April and September 2023; 62.1% were male. Main pathologies included 41.9% oncohaematologic diseases, 18.9% human immunodeficiency virus, and 17.7% immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
The reason for admission was related to the pathology for which outpatient medication was withdrawn in 27 patients (34.2%), and six patients (7.6 %) were admitted due to an AE of the medication withdrawn in outpatients. Pharmaceutical interventions (PI) were performed in 21.5% of the patients reviewed, and 76.5% were accepted. PI reasons included discontinuation of treatment (64.7 %), modification (17.7 %), initiation (11.8 %) and monitoring (5.9 %).
With our protocol, we want to show that outpatients within the pool of patients admitted to a hospital are a priority target group. For these patients, the hospital pharmacist can improve treatment during hospitalization with a high degree of pharmaceutical intervention.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Outi Lapatto-Reiniluoto, Suvi Sivula, Elina Ahomäki
Price has been the most prominent criteria in procurement quality being the second. Environmental aspects haven’t been assessed earlier. Differences between the pharmaceuticals’ environmental burden can be considerable and by choosing wisely we would be more sustainable.
Environmental criteria have not been used in Finland in hospital procurements earlier. We created the criteria which would be acceptable to all parties (hospitals, suppliers), would be reliably assessed, and easily copied to other hospitals.
Our tender had six questions for everyone and two more questions for antibiotics or hormones. The common questions were answered by yes / no / we do not know. Points given were 0, 1, 2. An example of the common question is: Does the company have a plan how to reduce CO2 emissions caused by itself?
Questions for antibiotics and estrogen hormones were: Company has told in which country and in which plant the API is produced and the formulation happens.
132 providers answered so far. Quality of answers varied considerably, from 0 to 12 points, mean 7 points. Questions for antibiotics created the most discrepancies: 41 providers; 15 were not able to answer these questions acceptably. The answers showed that the questions were not too difficult, these questions could be answered, and the answers can be analysed.
The criteria were very simple and assessing the answers was not difficult. Only one question was widely misunderstood. Questions were universal and can be used in other hospitals, too, which is the wish from the industry (same questions everywhere). Wide range of results showed differences between the companies. During this round we did not give any credit for the best products but in the future more responsible products should be rewarded. Antimicrobial resistance e.g., is a global problem but if the company does not know where its products are manufactured how can they look after wastewater treatment of their products.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Rik Stuurman, Sofie Hessels, Chantal Kats, Chantal van Egmond, Kim Gombert-Handoko
The administration of intravenous medication directly into the drip chamber has several benefits: 1) it saves time during preparation and administration for the nursing staff, 2) the patient has a shorter and controlled administration of the medication, often with less fluid and 3) the reduction of the use of infusion bags is sustainable and reduces costs.
Administration of intravenous medication into the drip chamber using the integrated needle-free injection adapter is a good alternative to bolus injections and parenteral infusion. We conducted two pilot experiments at four wards, where we injected the 30 most frequently administered medications directly into the drip chamber instead of using an additional infusion bag via a sideline, which is the common practice in our hospital.
For the most frequently administered medications, we assessed whether it was possible to inject directly into the drip chamber. For these medications, we also defined the pump speed and the volume to rinse the system after each infusion. This information is explicitly described in our local parenteral handbook. In addition the nursing staff was fully trained and the procedures were updated.
During the evaluation of the first pilot after three months of the implementation, about 90% of the nurses indicated that they were satisfied with this alternative way of administration, that they did not experience any problems during the procedure and that they saved time compared to the old method. The second pilot will also evaluate the real-world reduction in infusion bags and costs (results are expected in December).
This alternative way of administration is now fully implemented and will be rolled out over the other wards with a “starter package”, which includes a guide for implementation, training material and frequently asked questions. In addition, the method will be fully integrated into the local parenteral handbook and the list of medications will be expanded.
Introductory Statements and Governance
Hilario Martinez-Barros, Maria Muñoz-Garcia, David Gonzalez-de-Olano, Silvia Sanchez-Cuellar, Enrique Blitz-Castro, Gonzalo De-los-Santos-Granados, Dario Antolin-Amerigo, Ana de-Andres-Martin, Patricia Fernandez-Martin, Elena Gemeno-lopez, Ana Maria Alvarez-Diaz
• To understand directly and holistically the patients’ vision of their illness, treatment, healthcare experience and how they impact their daily lives.
• To define the ideal SAU by identifying innovations and changes that satisfy patients’ needs.
ASfarMA is a hospital pharmacist-led project within a multidisciplinary Severe Asthma Unit (SAU) that aims to apply different innovative measures encompassing humanization to improve treatment related results and patient experiences.
Human-Centered Design (HCD) is an approach to problem-solving that aims to make systems usable and useful by focusing on the users and their needs.
A core group was constituted with at least one member from each of the specialities that are part of our SAU. Members of an HCD-team devised and contributed to organize the following activities:
A series of proposed measures that respond to patients and professionals’ reported needs were made. They were classified as either “transformative solutions” or “quick wins”:
– 7 transformative solutions, which provide holistic responses that require greater development, effort and resources, were identified. E.g. Two-way communication APP, onboarding kit, design of common spaces for SAU members, patient coordinator.
– 14 quick wins, which provide significant benefits but can be implemented with lesser effort and resources, were identified. E.g. Non-urgent consultation mailbox, pediatric-adult patient transition consultation, asthma-specific emergency department circuits, coordinated consultation agendas between severe asthma unit members, expert patient workshops.
This project, which has a qualitative nature and is based on the experiences of both patients and professionals, has allowed us to understand their needs and identify innovative solutions that will be applied progressively to our SAU and other hospitals.
