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.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Anna Lydon & Jonathan Day
Homecare prescriptions are physically sent to external homecare companies for dispensing, so the hospital must retain a copy for governance, audit and continuity of care. Previously, prescriptions were scanned in and manually moved to local folders with variable filenames, introducing risk of error, no audit trail and duplicated effort (pharmacy and clinical teams both scanning). This was a slow, manual process, with a typical delay of around 2-3 weeks before prescriptions were uploaded due to the high volume. We therefore needed a safer, faster and auditable process to retain copies of homecare prescriptions in the official patient record.
We developed a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) which involved ustilising an Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled workflow to capture homecare prescriptions, extract key fields, automatically file using standardised filenames, validate patient identifiers, and automatically upload documents into the patient record for all healthcare professionals (HCP) to view in real time.
We used Microsoft Power Automate and Azure AI to build an AI-driven RPA process to read scanned homecare prescriptions, extract key fields, standardise filenames, validate patient identifiers, and automatically upload documents into the official patient record. Within the automatic process, there are built-in validation checks to verify AI-extracted fields. If the AI confidence score is low or a check fails, the workflow prompts for human confirmation of the patient’s hospital number and then resumes processing.
To date, the solution has processed over 5,000 homecare prescriptions with 98% field-extraction accuracy. Average handling time has reduced from 3 minutes per prescription to 10 seconds per 50 prescriptions, equating to around 5 hours saved per 100 prescriptions. This novel process has released 7.5 hours of pharmacy staff time per week. Prescriptions are now available in the patient record in real time, improving information availability at the point of care and enabling staff to focus on higher value tasks. This has strengthened data quality and governance, and provides an audit trail whilst reducing duplication of work between pharmacy and multiple clinical teams.
We plan to extend the workflow so that all AI-extracted fields are written back to the Homecare Patient SQL database, creating a single, queryable source of truth and enabling automated checks, dashboards and reporting. We also plan to roll the solution out for other prescription types (outpatient and discharge), replacing off-site paper storage with searchable patient records, reducing storage costs, improving retrieval times, and strengthening governance.
Production and Compounding
Luísa Ávares
António Daniel Mendes
Diana Monteiro
Sara Brandão Madureira
Rafael Sá e Silva
Lúcia Costa
Patrocínia Rocha
Nuclear medicine procedures involve the administration of Iodine-123, Iodine-131, and Technetium-99m, which are taken up by thyroid tissue and may compromise image quality. Blocking this uptake is essential to ensure diagnostic and therapeutic accuracy while minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure. In clinical practice, competitive inhibitors of the transmembrane sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) are used to prevent radionuclide binding.
The institution previously used an oral sodium perchlorate solution as a compounded medication (CM). Due to difficulties in sourcing high-quality raw materials, the Radiopharmacy Unit, in collaboration with the Pharmaceutics Unit, explored alternative options.
Identified active substances for thyroid blockade and evaluated their availability and suitability for use within the institution.
Developed, prepared, and introduced potassium perchlorate capsules into the therapeutic arsenal.
Validated thyroid blockade using potassium perchlorate capsules through imaging studies.
Literature review to select a suitable pharmacological alternative.
Pharmaceutical development of potassium perchlorate capsules, including powder classification, bulk density determination, flowability assessment, and capsule size selection using an algebraic method.
Imaging analysis of radionuclide angiograms acquired at equilibrium after capsule administration.
Three alternatives were identified: sodium perchlorate, potassium iodide, and potassium perchlorate; none are commercially available in Portugal. Importing sodium perchlorate solution was costly and impractical. Potassium iodide (5% Lugol’s solution) has a short shelf-life and requires administration up to 48 hours before the procedure.
The 200 mg potassium perchlorate capsules offer several advantages: adjustable dosing (400–600 mg), administration up to one hour before the procedure, greater stability, and suitability for patients allergic to iodine. Cervical and thoracic imaging confirmed effective thyroid blockade without compromising image interpretation, demonstrating reproducibility and reduced thyroid radiation exposure.
Potassium perchlorate capsules, prepared as a CM, were effective, suitable, and enriched the institution’s therapeutic options, representing a viable alternative to sodium perchlorate. Clinical validation confirmed no negative impact on image quality.
Future steps include monitoring long-term clinical outcomes and exploring broader implementation of potassium perchlorate capsules in routine nuclear medicine practice.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Vanusa Barbosa Pinto, Andréa Cássia Pereira Sforsin, Cleuber Esteves Chaves, Carolina Broco Manin, Priscila Faria França, Amanda Magalhaes Vilas Boas Cambiais, Carolina Ferreira Dos Santos, Lidiane Baltieri Gomes, Priscilla Alves Rocha, Maria Cleusa Martins
The Pharmacy Division of a large tertiary hospital implemented structured risk governance, anchored by a risk matrix integrated into strategic planning and monitored by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The primary goal was to reduce risks across the entire medication use process—from selection to administration—using the matrix to guide continuous improvement cycles (PDCA) and ensure proactive, predictive risk management.
Tertiary hospitals with complex medication processes often face a high incidence of adverse events and waste due to fragmented risk management. The aim was to proactively mitigate risks classified as high and extreme, not only enhancing medication safety but also improving efficiency and operational response time. The initiative also sought to strengthen the internal safety culture by encouraging increased near-miss reporting.
The project involved an end-to-end mapping of pharmaceutical care in 2024, with risk scoring (probability x consequence). Critical KPIs were defined: service level, prescription evaluation rate, adverse event reports for compounded products, and near-miss reports. Results were reviewed in multi-professional committees to guide PDCA improvement cycles. One specific action plan involved implementing Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in medication distribution to enhance traceability.
Between 2024 and 2025, the absolute number of risks classified as extreme decreased, and five risks reduced their criticality. The intervention demonstrated objective gains: service level increased from 77.82% to 84.40%; adverse event reports for compounded products decreased from 11 to 6; and the average monthly near-miss reports increased from 34 to 44, strengthening the safety culture. Notably, the PDA implementation contributed to the medication traceability rate increasing from 12.5% to 50.2%.
This governance model, focused on risk mitigation through PDCA cycles and critical KPIs, proved to be a practical and effective strategy for achieving sustainable gains in medication safety and efficiency. The practice is highly transferable and scalable, reinforcing the strategic role of the hospital pharmacy in integrating planning, quality, and technological innovation, and serving as a benchmark for other high-complexity institutions.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
A. GHORBEL, C. KONN, J. CATROUX, J. TISSERAND, P. ROCANIERES
Polypharmacy and multimorbidity make medication safety a major challenge in geriatric medicine. Medication reconciliation and review are essential but time-consuming processes that cannot be systematically performed for all patients. Prior, we made a systematic review of the French literature which identified multiple prioritization approaches – empirical, statistical, and consensus-based – but no harmonized tool. Common criteria included advanced age, polypharmacy, psychotropic use, high-risk medications, and chronic diseases such as heart failure. Then, we aimed to translate these findings into a pragmatic, locally adapted prioritization grid to improve targeting and workflow efficiency.
An initiative was developed in the geriatric department of a French University Hospital to introduce prioritization criteria for medication review (MR) at admission. The aim was to optimize pharmacists’ clinical activity by identifying high-risk patients most likely to benefit from a MR, given the limited available resources.
A prospective, observational, comparative study was conducted over 13 months (early June 2024 – end June 2025) in neuro-geriatrics and onco-geriatrics. During the 8 last months, pharmacists applied a prioritization grid daily based on clinical and pharmacological criteria (≥ 5 medications, renal impairment, psychotropics, high-risk drugs). Indicators before and after its implementation were compared using a two-sample Z-test (α = 0.05).
After implementation, 295 admission and 48 discharge MR were performed (vs 272 and 31 before prioritization). The initiative allowed the targeted inclusion of patients with a mean age of 87 ± 6 years and an average of 10 ± 4 chronic medications. The most frequent prioritization criteria identified were renal impairment, use of “never-event” drugs (methotrexate, insulin, colchicine, oral chemotherapy and anticoagulant drugs), antibiotic therapy, electrolyte disorders, and diabetes. Average MR time rose (113 vs 105 min; 89 vs 47 min), reflecting higher case complexity.
Defining common prioritization criteria could support national recommendations and enable the development of digital tools integrated into hospital information systems to automatically identify high-priority patients. In the future, it is planned to use these results to create decision rules from artificial intelligence software: it could generate dynamic prioritization models based on real-time clinical, biological, and therapeutic data, embedded into dispensing software to improve patient safety and optimize pharmaceutical care.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
E. WILLIAM1, K. TLILI1, L. WANG1, A. TARRE1, A. BENOMAR1, M. EL HUSSEINI1, S. OUABDELKADER2, I. DEBRIX1, F.FEDERSPIEL1
1 : HÔPITAL TENON, PHARMACIE À USAGE INTÉRIEUR, PARIS, FRANCE.
2 : HÔPITAL TENON, DIRECTION QUALITÉ ET GESTION DES RISQUES, PARIS, FRANCE.
Medication reconciliation (MR) is a widely recognized process for preventing medication errors (ME). However, the step involving the preparation of the” Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) is a complex process, itself subject, like any production process, to potential errors. This means that inaccurate or incomplete BPMHs can be generated, in contradiction with the high level of reliability implicitly expected of the final product. However, to our knowledge, current recommendations do not describe a dedicated risk management model for this process, and published studies addressing ME potentially induced by MR itself are scarce.
The aim of this work was to consider the BPMH preparation process as a full-fledged production process and, as such, to develop a dedicated safety model by identifying potential or previously described error risks, existing safety measures, and actions to be implemented within a continuous quality improvement framework.
A systemic analysis method, FMECA (Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis) was chosen to collectively assess the relative criticality of each identified risk, with the aim of establishing specific safety principles for this process.
Seven analysis meetings took place over six months, bringing together 3 to 5 senior pharmacists, 1 to 3 junior pharmacists, and one quality manager. The analysis identified 49 generic hazards and 62 associated risks. The most critical risks were related to identity vigilance, the completeness and reliability of sources used, the specificity of high-risk drugs, data recording, and the pharmacotherapeutic consistency of the final BPMH. Discussions confirmed the role of common cognitive biases in the occurrence of potential, often overlooked errors. The proposed safety system therefore mainly focused on strengthening awareness of typical error risks during MR, formalizing a self- and double-check checklist, and developing a dedicated non-conformity reporting form.
This systemic analysis contributed to a collective awareness of the persistent risk of errors in a process that may appear, at first glance, to be well controlled. The analysis of non-conformities through a dedicated experience feedback committee (CREx) will confirm the value of a dynamic and collective approach in the more global management of errors in clinical pharmacy.
Education and Research
S. EL BOURY, B. CHAVENT, C. DUSSART, L. DERAIN
Recognising medical devices is a key skill for hospital pharmacy professionals to ensure correct management and optimal patient safety. However, traditional training sessions were often theoretical and failed to stimulate engagement or long-term retention. This initiative was therefore developed to promote active learning, improve device recognition, and strengthen team collaboration in a fun and motivating way.
A playful educational activity called “Medical device hunt” was created within the hospital pharmacy department. Inspired by an Easter egg hunt, this initiative encouraged staff to explore, identify, and learn about medical devices through an interactive and engaging game.
Over three days, sixteen medical devices (e.g. vascular stent, guedel airway, cardiac pacemaker) were hidden within a defined area of the pharmacy, each carrying a letter to form a mystery word. Participation was open to all pharmacy staff, including technicians, pharmacists, residents, students, and logistics agents, either individually or in teams. The top hunters were rewarded. A debriefing session, open to both participants and non-participants, presented informative cards on each device’s function and clinical use were, followed by a satisfaction questionnaire.
A total of 13 staff members participated, mainly pharmacy technicians (76.9%), with a success rate of 69.2%. All participants discovered at least one device and reported learning new information about its use. Satisfaction was high, with 92,3% declaring themselves “very satisfied.” Engagement extended beyond the game itself, as seven non-participants joined the debriefing session; among them, 85.7% were “very satisfied” and 71.4% reported having learned through the informative cards. The initiative strengthened awareness and knowledge of medical devices while fostering teamwork, communication and curiosity across the department.
The Medical Device Hunt demonstrated the benefits of gamified learning in a hospital pharmacy setting. Future editions will feature improved communication and longer participation time. The concept could also be adapted to other educational topics such as medication errors or risk management, further supporting a culture of continuous learning and safety within the department.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
B.Ben Houria, F.ElKara , M.Ben Messaoud, M.Bizid, A.Tabbabi, S.Gmati
Improving the performance of quality control laboratories is crucial to ensure the quality, safety and regulatory compliance of medicines. Ongoing challenges, including fragmented workflows and limited traceability, highlighted the need for a structured and harmonized operational model. To address this, a technical platform was established within the physicochemical control laboratory of a National Agency for Medicines and Health Products to consolidate resources, streamline work organization and align analytical activities with international standards and best practices.
A technical platform was implemented to reorganize analytical activities, restructure laboratory areas by function and strengthen quality assurance practices. The initiative included assessing the existing system, defining functional analytical zones (e.g. spectroscopy, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)…), optimizing equipment allocation and appointing an equipment manager to coordinate scheduling, oversee maintenance and ensure operational traceability. Then, a performance evaluation matrix was developed and applied to objectively assess the effectiveness of the newly implemented technical platform and identify areas requiring further improvement.
This descriptive and comparative study combined documentary analysis, on-site observation and review of international guidelines. The methodological approach comprised three steps:
1-Assessment of the existing system : Review of the laboratory’s organization, equipment, analytical processes and human resources to identify factors influencing overall performance.
2-Structuring of the technical platform and performance evaluation: Organization by instrument specialization and the use of structured matrix.
3-Comparison with international standards : Scientific literature and reports from European reference laboratories were reviewed to benchmark the implemented technical platform against international standards.
The platform was implemented in July 2025 through a spatial and functional reorganization that improved methodological coherence, reduced unnecessary sample manipulation and increased equipment utilization. The designation of an equipment manager contributed to better planning, coordinated instrument scheduling and enhanced workflow oversight, thereby reinforcing operational continuity. Performance matrix results indicated satisfactory compliance across key domains: infrastructure (100%), human resources (50%), equipment (75%) and quality assurance (50%). These outcomes confirm the solid implementation of the technical platform while highlighting the need to strengthen documentation, staff training and performance monitoring.
Future developments will focus on digital integration through paperless analytical workflows, automated test scheduling and real-time electronic traceability to enhance data integrity and predictive performance analysis. Gradual introduction of artificial intelligence, while respecting regulatory data confidentiality, offers promising opportunities to predict analytical deviations, optimize equipment use and improve resource management. Ongoing monitoring of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and continuous staff development will be essential to maintain and sustain long-term performance improvements.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Adeline HERLIN, Hermine ZIGA, Pauline PAYOT
The aim is to continuously improve quality and efficiency.
In the interests of continuous quality improvement, we have set up a suggestion box in the pharmacy’s unit repackaging sector.
We have set up a suggestion box for technician and pharmacists.
Each person can submit ideas or questions, anonymously or not.
After one month, the box was unpacked. The ideas and queries were analysed and discussed.
Eight points were raised.
One point concerns procedures.
The existing procedures on the intranet network are not well known to users. We have provided an easy-to-access binder.
Three points relate to packaging methods (list of products according to packaging method, removal of expired packaged products, mismatch of the Eticonform® label with the blister pack).
A decision tree was made (Euraf®: large quantities, multi-dose vials, magistral formula, small blister packs). The printing of the ledgers indicates the packaged products and their expiry dates. The removal of expired products is done according to the ledgers. A precaution must be taken when editing labels Eticonform® “laboratory” labels. Indeed, the size of the blister packs differs from one laboratory to another.
The fifth point concerns the organization.
Technicians wish a storage area dedicated to repackaged specialties to compensate for stock errors.
After discussion, we did not retain this proposal.
The other point concerns the lack of equipment.
A stool and a ruler were provided.
The penultimate point concerns the use of returns from services in multi-dose vials.
We propose the packaging of small units with expiry dates < 3 months with the Euraf® bagging machine.
Otherwise (e.g. Carbimazole), we propose the packaging of sufficient quantities for 7 days in the vials with pre-printed labels with an expiry date of one week.
The last point concerns the labelling of blisters with desiccant capsule (e.g. Nicorandil).
We offer Eticonform® re-labelling with a statement: USE BY xx/xx/202x (30 days after re-labelling).
The involvement of the technician team in a proactive approach to risk management is essential. We wanted to harness their practical expertise and energize the team.
The box will be integrated into our current practice.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Delphine BODEN, Laura RODRIGO, Rachel MAHE, Olivier SELLAL, Maxime PARE, François RONDEAU
The main objective was to test the activation of our Pharmacy-Sterilization-Operational-Unit (PS-OU), established in December 2022, and to work on its interaction with the others OU of the different hospital services. The second aim was to continue the training of pharmaceutical teams on exceptional health situations (EHS).
In March 2024, our hospital pharmacy (HP) took part in an inter-departmental exercise based on the scenario of managing a massive influx of polytrauma victims at our hospital. The quick engagement of mobile medical units and sterilization department, dependent on the HP, is indeed a key element in the optimal care of victims, whether in hospital or pre-hospital.
Two interns and one pharmacy technician, with an analysis framework, were in attendance as observers through the exercise. During the PS-OU activation, various points were observed: global crisis management, task assignment and communication between the members, data centralization and communication with the others OU, efficiency and speed of response to problems… A feedback questionnaire was then sent to the 9 main players (PS-OU members, on-call pharmacist…). Intra-HP and inter-departmental feedback were provided immediately, then a posteriori.
For 3 hours, our HP had activated its OU to provide the best possible response to this exercise. The observation of this exercise pointed out the rapid activation and efficiency of the PS-OU (by the on-call pharmacist, on the order of the head of department), so a great intern and extern communication. Areas for improvement were raised, such as the optimization of available tools. 89% of players answered the feedback questionnaire. The communication was considered operational and the PS-OU essential by all the respondents. They also feel that this type of exercise is needed (75%) and helps prepare them for EHS (88%).
Aims of this exercise were achieved. Preparing, hosting and then analyzing this kind of exercise, although seemingly time-consuming, enables us to validate and, where required, consolidate the intended organization for EHS. These results also strengthen our determination to pursue our annual exercise program. Shortly, an exercise with the supply members of our PS-OU will be organized, in order to train the less experienced members as well.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
C.ALINOVI, J.ZAMPA, D.PECANI
Toulouse University Hospital, FRANCE, Toulouse
To set up tools to better manage medical device (MD) supply shortages, given the significant increase in the number of shortages in recent years.
To better manage MD supply shortages in hospitals, a score has been developed to classify devices by their criticality during supply disruptions. This score considers various factors, such as : number of hospital departments using the product, average daily consumption rate, single-use vs. reusable nature of the product or Availability of alternatives.
A set of criteria and their interrelations were tested to establish a criticality score that categorizes MD into three levels : ‘supercritical’, ‘critical’, and ‘non-critical’. These categories reflect the potential impact on patient care in the event of a shortage. Thresholds, such as the daily consumption rate, were particularly important in defining this score.
To validate the scoring method, 33 combinations of criteria and 1,257 threshold variations were tested on a sample of 66 products. These products had previously been rated by expert pharmacists for criticality. Sensitivity and specificity calculations were used to compare the test results with expert evaluations. After testing, three combinations achieved the desired accuracy, and one of these was selected.
The final scoring method was applied to 764 MD in stock at the hospital, identifying 44 as ‘supercritical’. The security storage thresholds were increased for these 44 MD so that they would be less affected in the event of a shortage, and are MD targeted during order delays, so that they can be relaunched as a priority.
A similar scoring system will be developed for MD managed in non-stock mode to classify the most critical items in the event of a supply shortage.
