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
Piter Oosterhof, Jelmer Hein Faber, Lieke van Kerkhoven, Rob Haenen
PharmaSwap is a response to the significant issue of medication waste in the healthcare sector. The problem of medication waste was well-documented, with scientific research indicating that annually, a minimum of €100 million worth of prescribed medications was being discarded in the Netherlands. These medications were being wasted when they reached their expiration dates, resulting in both financial losses and environmental pollution. PharmaSwap was introduced to tackle the problem of medication waste by creating an online platform that enables pharmacists and pharmaceutical wholesalers to list and sell medications with approaching expiration dates at discounted rates. Our initiative sought to improve the situation by not only reducing the financial losses associated with medication waste but also by addressing the environmental concerns linked to the disposal of medications. By promoting the reuse of medications and encouraging a shift toward sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector, PharmaSwap aimed to make a positive impact on healthcare and the environment.
The initiative that has been developed and implemented is https://www.PharmaSwap.com. PharmaSwap is an online marketplace established in 2018 by pharmacists Piter Oosterhof and Jelmer Faber. This platform facilitates the exchange and sale of medications among (hospital) pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers that are nearing their expiration dates at discounted rates.
The introduction of PharmaSwap faced several obstacles:
1) Regulatory barriers: initially, regulations didn’t allow medication redistribution. We collaborated with regulatory bodies to find a legal solution.
2) Legal adjustments: we worked with authorities to amend regulations, creating a legal framework for PharmaSwap.
3) Building trust: gaining trust from pharmacists and wholesalers required transparent communication and showcasing benefits.
4) Technical development: developing the platform required the right tech partners and resources.
5) Awareness and adoption: we conducted awareness campaigns and partnered with (inter)national associations to promote PharmaSwap.
Through these efforts, we successfully overcame obstacles and implemented PharmaSwap, reducing medication waste and promoting sustainability.
1) Medication waste reduction: PharmaSwap has significantly reduced medication waste, preventing the disposal of medications, while pioneering a unique and innovative approach.
2) Environmental impact: PharmaSwap has saved 9,719 packaging units, leading to a substantial reduction in environmental pollution from medication disposal.
3) Cost Savings: healthcare systems have saved €1,165,115 by recovering the value of otherwise discarded medications.
4) Network growth: PharmaSwap connects 836 out of 2,000 Dutch pharmacies and collaborates with 8 pharmaceutical wholesalers, including one partner compliant with Good Distribution Practice (GDP).
These outcomes highlight PharmaSwap’s impactful contributions to waste reduction, cost savings, and sustainability in healthcare, supported by its expanding network of participants.
PharmaSwap’s success in reducing medication waste, saving costs, and promoting sustainability makes it a compelling example of good practice in healthcare. Its transferability to other healthcare settings involves replication, regulatory adaptation, education, partnerships, technology integration, data management, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Moreover, we are currently in advanced meetings with several other European countries, exploring the potential for international expansion and collaboration to further extend the positive impact of PharmaSwap.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Lykke Henriette Sandholt, Charlotte Kok Fredslund
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent that backorders for many medicines could arise worldwide. In Denmark, the same medicines are used in all hospitals for 1 or 2 years. As hospitals report estimates for the same drugs, it was possible to establish a national safety stockpile.
In March 2020, Amgros established a national pharmaceutical safety stockpile for the Danish health authorities. The facility partner was approved, and the warehouse was constructed within a few months. Experience over the past three years has led to a national strategic stockpile run by Amgros on behalf of the Danish regions and Amgros.
Working with clinicians, clinical pharmacists, hospital pharmacies, and the Danish Medicines Agency, the range for the safety stock was identified based on defined criteria. Hospital pharmacies were also required to purchase from the safety stock. The warehouse was replaced every three to six months depending on criticality, and therefore was the risk of waste minimized. A procurement team was set up in Amgros, which established a good working relationship with pharmaceutical suppliers to identify backorders. The purchasing pharmacist regularly met with health professionals regarding drug numbers and quantity adjustments.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, security of supply remained intact, mainly due to collaboration between healthcare actors, suppliers, and Amgros. The experience gained over the past three years has resulted in establishment of a national strategic stockpile. Danish regions run this stockpile in cooperation with Amgros. Selection of warehouse partner is among other things based on profitability and sustainability.
After establishing the strategic stockpile, the Danish regions and Amgros took over financial responsibility from the Danish authorities. A working group has been established, including hospital pharmacies and Amgros, to assess stock volumes at the warehouse. Medicines with unstable security of supply are stocked. Input from suppliers is highly valued. All tenders are monitored so the working group can add or delete medicines. We ensure supply when consumption is high (seasonal fluctuations). The goal of the strategic stockpile is to maintain security of supply and, thus, treatment of patients at Danish hospitals. As well as act promptly on announced and urgent backorders.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Catarina Diogo, Rui Caceiro, Maria Helena Duarte, Armando Alcobia
The core objective of healthcare institutions is to ensure patient safety and maintain the highest quality of care throughout every medical procedure.
This principle must extend to the drug circuit as well. Within our hospital, pharmaceutical services have a dedicated route for producing injectable ophthalmic medications, serving 795 patients and yielding 3720 solutions, in 2022. However, the existing paper-based procedure for medication management is laborious, time consuming and error-prone, demanding full-time constant pharmacist involvement to ensure the secure progression of these medications.
A software application was developed on the Power Apps platform to streamline medication management for injectable ophthalmic medications. This application aimed to replace manual paper-based procedures with digital solutions, enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and providing a comprehensive platform for patient registration, prescription tracking, schedule management, and oversight of injectable solutions’ production.
Over two months, needs of pharmaceutical and ophthalmology services were assessed, soliciting input from pharmacists, ophthalmologists, nurses and administrative personnel. Subsequently, a software application was developed featuring four distinct interfaces, customised for each professional group involved. This application enables patient registration, medical prescription, schedule management and monitoring the injectable solutions’ production – prescription and agenda validation, batch management and generation of identification labels.
This project is presented, therefore, as a customised digital solution, the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration.
It is the authors’ belief that this software has allowed for the development of a safer, more efficient, and integrated workflow, as an alternative to paper – which is more prone to errors. In this manner, from a pharmaceutical perspective, it simplifies the workflow, freeing the pharmacist to focus on other important tasks and optimizing personnel management. Furthermore, it is also valuable for ophthalmologists, enabling prescription repetition and access to patient history, as well as for administrative staff, streamlining schedule management. In conclusion, this software is set to transform our injectable ophthalmic medication circuit.
Further studies confirming its advantages are needed. Its validation would establish its potential and applicability across healthcare settings.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
BEATRIZ MONTERO LLORENTE, ELENA GEMENO LÓPEZ, CARMEN PALOMAR FERNÁNDEZ, ANA MARÍA ÁLVAREZ DÍAZ
To avoid stock breaks of medication due to unforeseeable fluctuations in their regular consumption. To reduce claims to the Pharmacy Service (PS) for medication shortages in automated dispensing systems (ADS) and other dispensing circuits. To achieve economic savings by avoiding unnecessary loans. To manage these loans in the morning when needs are detected in advance, with the consequent reduction in the time it takes for the pharmacist to manage it during on-call hours (approximately 2 hours per loan).
We designed and implemented a tool to control in advance the stock of medication dispensed to hospitalisation and outpatient units and thus be able to forecast needs based on current prescriptions and associated habitual consumption.
1. An Excel file was developed in which the information on automated storage systems (ASS), ADS and prescriptions were integrated. It included maximum, minimum and current amount, and estimated coverage (in days) according to the consumption forecast associated with current prescriptions. We established the minimum amount based on a coverage threshold of 7 days.
2. Basic drug needs were studied (adjustment of maximum and minimum in the ASS and ADS, a dynamic process periodically reassessed according to demand).
3. The order information was added: order status, request date, last receipt date, order number and laboratory. These items allowed us to quickly locate old orders so we could address the reason for the delay in procurement.
4. We included medications stored externally to the ASS to control their stock electronically.
Loans requested annually from other hospitals were quantified as an indicator of improvement in acquiring medicines stored in the ASSs.
We obtained an annual reduction in the number of loans of 34.4% between 2019 and 2020 (125 loans vs 82) and 56.1% between 2020 and 2021 (82 loans vs 36). This result represented an average decrease in the time to manage loans of approximately 7 hours/month between 2019 and 2021.
The tool can be applied to all PS with ADS and ASS, intending to have the necessary medication available at the necessary time and thus avoid possible clinical damage to patients’ health derived from the delay in their treatment.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
The purpose of the report was to investigate and share what benefit opportunities exist because of the introduction of the EU FMD barcode.
EFPIA, the industry association, commissioned a report to investigate what benefits had occurred in the hospital setting, following the introduction of the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (EU FMD).
www.be4ward.com/benefits-beyond-eu-falsified-medicines-directive/
The author worked directly with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in the UK and AZ Sint-Maarten in Belgium. In addition, he reviewed various relevant case studies and publications.
The report demonstrates benefits exist at all points in the hospital supply chain, where packs are handled, stored and processed. Opportunities also exist to web enable the product to provide digital content and services to healthcare providers and patients.
The introduction of standardised barcodes and product identification enables hospitals to leverage benefits opportunities which were difficult to realise before this level of harmonisation and barcoding prevalence.
• The costs of operating the EU FMD can be minimised, integrating with normal operations and leveraging the use of conveyor systems and robotics are successfully reducing the workload impact by up to an expected 80%.
• Barcodes and product identification brings impressive financial benefits to those hospitals which leverage them. In one hospital they were able to save £4 million through the reduction of over ordering products. In another, the improved accuracy and speed in the recharging of procedures identified £840K in lost revenues in a single year.
Scanning barcodes, is being used to deliver value across all three of the benefit opportunity areas: Improved Patient Safety, Enhanced Clinical Effectiveness and Operational Efficiencies. It is possible to offset the costs of EU FMD implementation and operation through the additional benefits.
Share the report findings to enable hospitals to leverage the opportunities of the EU FMD barcode.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Daniele Leonardi Vinci, Enrica Di Martino, Rosario Giammona, Piera Polidori
The 2018 Medicines Shortages Survey conducted by EAHP showed that 91% of responding pharmacists had experienced problems sourcing medicines, therefore it is important to use tools that identify early the shortage risk associated with each drug included in a hospital formulary in order to adopt appropriate countermeasures.
We create an informatic HVA Tool (HVAT) to assess the risk associated with medicine shortage.
The HVAT created consists of an Excel spreadsheet subdivided into three macro areas: probability that the shortage will occur based on shortage in the last 2 years, magnitude factors which increase the risk of shortage, and mitigation factors which reduce it. A score was assigned to each item in each macro area. The score of the probability was: 1=no previous deficiency; 1.5=one deficiency; 2=two or more deficiencies. Magnitude was divided into: relevance of active substance (AS) (1= not life-saving and not High Risk Medicines (HRM); 2=not life-saving but HRM; 3=life-saving); budget impact (0=no alternative drug; 1=alternative drug costs equal to or less than the deficient one; 2=cost of the alternative drug higher than the deficient one but sustainable for all patients; 3=cost not sustainable for all patients); percentage of patients treated with the drug (1=less than 20%; 2=from 20% to 50%; 3=more than 50%). Mitigation factors were: therapeutic alternative (1=same AS and same route; 1.5=same AS and different route; 2=different AS and route not intravenous (IV); 2.5=different AS and route IV; 3=no alternative drug); stock available (1=for a month of autonomy; 2= autonomy between 1 week and one month; 3=autonomy less than 1 week); availability of the drug (1=drug available in EU; 2=drug available exclusively extra-EU; 3=drug not available).
The HVAT obtained allows us to calculate the value of the risk multiplying P by S, where P is the percentage of probability (value of probability obtained/2) and S is percentage of severity [(sum of values of magnitude obtained + sum of values of mitigation obtained)/18]. Based on the score obtained, drugs are classified as: low (60%) risk of shortage.
We will implement the HVAT in our hospital in order to reduce the impact of shortages.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
TRISTAN TERNEL, MELINDA PLACE, BERENICE GILLOTEAU, ELODIE DECHAMBENOIT, EMELINE DEVOS, FATEN ABOU-DAHER, ANAELLE DECOENE, THOMAS QUERUAU LAMERIE, FREDERIQUE DANICOURT
The main purpose of developing this tool is the need to provide centralised product parameters through a unique summary screen that permits a regular monitoring of inventory, enabling us to identify the glitches before things get out of control, resolve issues the soonest to improve the stock control system (order threshold, market), maintaining compliance and documenting usage to prevent sudden shortages, in a harmonised way in order to reduce the time spent to order.
Development of a dynamic stock management tool plugged into a computerised model (Excel©), to integrate all data needed for a stock forecast in terms of specialties, providers, therapeutic classes, last order date, supply disruptions, market, restocking time, turnover, stock, orders, security threshold, average daily consumption, average time of supply, and delivery estimated time for all pharmaceutical products in hospital.
It’s important to know how much you have from each product, and each dosage of the same product, through a dynamic database that’s collecting all data (product code and average daily consumption) and highlighting the order quantity threshold. This reliable inventory is updated on a daily basis with data extracted from our economic and financial management coupled with Business Object©. Using specific formulas and filters, and referring to the decision flowchart, such data allow adjusting and optimising our stock management in real time.
First, this tool has allowed us to gather all required data and, subsequently, reduced the need to another application (such as NEWAC© and MAGH2©). Second, it has allowed us to understand the mechanism of order suggestions by displaying characteristics of some sectors (such as expensive products and chemotherapy). Moreover, it improved the management of supply disruptions by showing the solution of each disrupted product in a summary table, which results in significant time saving along the drug supply chain.
An organised supply chain, a fast response to overcome and handle sudden supply shortages, as well as a huge time saving are the main reasons to rely on this efficient system, which lead to an optimised and secure patient care. Moreover, it fits any computer software, and its application is very friendly to be used in every hospital pharmacy.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Katja Heikkinen, Charlotta Vinterflod
AC’s mission is to secure that the right product and product information is available as well as in case of shortages assist with alternative products and information. Correct information is fundamental to achieve an effective and secure supply chain of medical products. This reduces time spent on ordering, delivery time is shortened and finding information is more efficient.
The hospital pharmacy in Region Västra Götaland, Sweden (VGR) established an assortment council (AC) that assists buyers of medical products within the region. By creating a defined assortment the goal was to direct healthcare professionals to order procured, recommended and cost-efficient medicines and enable structured availability monitoring.
A counsel of pharmacists was formed to administer a defined assortment consisting of 95% of the most commonly used medical products. The availability is monitored daily and every disruption of supply is handled in a structured way. Alternative marketed or unlicensed medical products are identified and information about these are communicated through VGR’s ordering system or by newsletters. If an equivalent product is available, it will be delivered automatically without the need for placing a new order. The AC also collaborates with the region’s medical specialists and drug and therapeutics committee (DTC) when searching for alternatives.
Defined assortment has been reduced from 6000 products to approximately 3000. In 2018 in addition to the daily updated availability information, 14,300 orders out of 410,000 were automatically replaced with an equivalent product and 41 newsletters about shortages were published. Nurses get more time for patient care when shortages information is readily available, and replacement of equivalent products can be delivered automatically
By implementing this way of working in other hospital regions or on a national level, caregivers would be able to free up resources and focus on patient care and at the same time be able to find quality assured information about shortages and alternatives in an efficient manner.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Gregorio Romero Candel, Maria Jesus Sanchez Cuenca , Nieves Cano Cuenca, Jose Marco del Rio , Julian Castillo Sanchez, Luna Carratala Herrera
The healthcare provided in the SSC is not fully integrated into the structures of the National Health System. These patients present a higher risk of adverse events related to pharmacotherapy, due to patient factors, with the treatment, the health system and the institutionalisation. The integral approach of the pharmaceutical benefit was necessary for improving the efficiency, safety, health and economic results due to the process using drugs and other health products in the SSC.
A pharmacotherapeutic benefit model has been started through the hospital pharmacy to the Socio-Sanitary Centres (SSC) of our health area. A pharmacotherapeutic management system based on the evaluation and selection of drugs and diet therapy items has been established.
An adherence protocol was made to the hospital pharmacy service, with the benefits that were to be provided to them. A guide was prepared with drugs and nutritional supplements that were available to them according to the Pharmacotherapeutic Guide of the Hospital Pharmacy Service, thus guaranteeing the most efficient products. A request model of both drugs and dietotherapics was developed for the SSC, assigning each centre one day per month to request the order and another day of dispensation. Finally, a calendar of distribution routes for each SSC was prepared.
For 12 months, eight SSC have been assigned to this programme, with 538 patients. Twelve shipments have been made to each centre, which have been provided with a total of 682,484 units of 223 active ingredients. The dispensation in diet therapy contained 28,045 units of 13 specialties. It has been possible to improve the pharmacotherapeutic coverage of these patients and reduce the expenditure on drugs in the area through centralised supply.
Development of follow-up programmes for patients with high health or economic impact drugs. Also, the adherence of new SSC, as well as increasing the dispensing portfolio, and achieving the integration of information systems, to have a total traceability from the patient to the different assistance levels.
Education and Research
VIRGINIA SAAVEDRA QUIRÓS, BELÉN ESCUDERO VILAPLANA, ELVIRA SANTIAGO PRIETO, MARÍA BELLA CORREDERA GARRUDO, INÉS GUMIEL BAENA, MARÍA DOLORES GARCÍA CEREZUELA, AMELIA SÁNCHEZ GUERRERO
It is important to provide continuous training to all professionals working in the healthcare system, especially when staff turnover is frequent, and when their job is directly related with drugs management, where a failure in the chain of drug utilization can have an impact on patient health.
We developed a technology-training strategy of the Pharmacy Department to improve the training resources of the professionals working in it, through the support of information and communication technologies (ICTs), in order to achieve the highest quality in our actions.
The initiative was targeted at the nursing assistant staff of the Pharmacy Department, in the dispensation process to in-bed patients. The development period was between March and April 2017, focusing on activities related to the management, conservation, storage and dispensing of medicines.
This information-training material was developed as follows:
‐ By editing video-tutorials, which would be accessed after recognizing an associated QR code.
‐ Through the preparation of summary sheets in poster format that reflect in a schematic, concrete and visual way those key aspects in each of the processes.
After its implementation, a user satisfaction survey was conducted to evaluate the initiative.
Five training video-tutorials were made on different subjects: preparation of unit-dose dispensing carts, preparation of medication from automated dispensing systems (ADS) in Pharmacy, order reception, replenishment ADS in the wards and preparation of medication “on demand”. The average duration of the videos was 5 minutes 45 seconds.
In addition, 7 summary sheets were designed for the management of other types of activities: returns, expirations, special orders, priorities in normal situation – critical situation, management of medicines not included in pharmacotherapeutic guide, interhospital medication loans and calls procedure in the Unit-dose dispensing area.
Satisfaction surveys conducted by nursing assistants have positively valued the initiative.
The strategy developed allows the integration of ICTs in staff training, helping to manage the information of the Pharmacy Department, achieving a better optimization of available resources.
The degree of satisfaction of the users was good for what we consider important to promote this practice, making it extendible to the other areas and members of the Pharmacy Department.
