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.
Production and Compounding
G. Penocchio, F. Bertola, F. Bozza, F. Caravaggio, M. Ferrighi, M.P. Ghilardi, A. Pozzi, G. Trainini, C. Galloni, T.E. Testa.
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) comprises a group of rare disorders with multisystem effects. In the postnatal period, a 37-week -old infant presented with dysepithelialized lesions on the body, as well as involvement of the oral cavity, characterized by discoloration of the hard palate and gums. The multidisciplinary team diagnosed EB and deemed it necessary to apply lidocaine gel because the infant was unable to feed due to pain from the sores. Initially, several commercially available products were used, but their irritating excipients led to poor tolerance. Consequently, it was necessary to prepare an extemporaneous formulation devoid of preservatives and flavorings.
This intervention presents the development of an extemporaneous preparation of lidocaine hydrochloride 0.5% w/w viscous oral topical gel, free of preservatives and flavors. The gel was distributed to the neonatal intensive care unit staff in pre-filled syringes and applied to the oropharyngeal mucosa of a neonate diagnosed with EB.
The components of the preparation included lidocaine hydrochloride, carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC), and sterile water. CMC was chosen for its hydrophilic properties and excellent gelling capabilities. The gel was prepared using a high-shear magnetic stirrer, with increasing concentrations of CMC (0.75%, 2.25%, 3%, and 4%). After discussions with the multidisciplinary team, the pharmacist recommended using the 4% gel, as its density allowed it to adhere well to the oropharyngeal mucosa. This adherence is crucial for preventing absorption and minimizing potential cardiac side effects of lidocaine.
The gel was successfully prepared with 0.5% lidocaine and 4% CMC, and packaged in pre-filled syringes with the daily dosage. Due to the absence of preservatives and stability data, the shelf life was established at 15 days when stored at 2-8°C. The viscous oral gel was administered three times a day, 20 minutes before feeding, to exert its anesthetic effect and facilitate breastfeeding.
The hospital pharmacist’s extensive expertise was instrumental in determining the optimal concentration of CMC and customizing the formulation to meet the patient’s unique requirements. This pivotal contribution led to a highly personalized therapy, ultimately resulting in the successful discontinuation of artificial nutrition in this critically ill patient.”
Production and Compounding
Eva Gómez-Costa; María Begoña Feal-Cortizas; María Mateos-Salvador; Sandra Rotea-Salvo; Andrea Luaces-Rodríguez; Laura Caeiro-Martínez; Clara Fernández-Diz; Andrés Torres-Pérez; Luis Margusino-Framiñán; María Isabel Martín-Herranz
Implement a circuit for the preparation, microbiological control, analytical control of patients, and dispensation of autologous serum eye drops in the Pharmacy Service (PS) of a tertiary-level hospital.
Autologous serum eye drops are classified as a special medication that must be prepared in authorized centers with an up-to-date patient registry. This initiative aims to ensure the safe use of autologous serum eye drops, guaranteeing quality and safety in their preparation and administration.
The circuit was established in the PS in 2015. After prescription by the Ophthalmology Service, pharmaceutical validation confirms that the treatment is optimal and complies with regulatory requirements. Blood samples are collected from patients under controlled conditions, and the serum is prepared in a vertical laminar flow hood. Once prepared, the eye drops are stored frozen in the PS until dispensation to the patient. The pharmacist reviews the microbiological control of each batch and the patient’s serological results. When collecting the eye drops, the pharmacist records batch traceability and provides the patient with necessary information on storage and administration.
Between January and August 2024, 294 patients were treated, with 477 blood extractions performed and a 11,925 eye drops prepared. Autologous serum concentration: 20%(76.9%), 30%(11.5%), 50%(11.2%), and 100%(0.4%). Microbiological control of the eye drops: 98.1% negative and 1.9% false positives, confirmed by a second negative control. Infectious diseases were detected in the serology of 3 patients: hepatitis C(1), hepatitis B(1) and syphilis(1). These data reflect a high success rate in the preparation and quality control, as well as the effectiveness of the implemented circuit. Additionally, the system has allowed for the early detection of viral infections, reinforcing treatment safety.
The implementation of this circuit has proven effective in ensuring the safety and efficacy of autologous serum eye drops, providing rigorous control over treatments and the quality of dispensed products. Future steps will involve pharmacists requesting serological tests and developing protocols for managing patients with identified infections. Furthermore, patient surveys will evaluate treatment effectiveness and overall patient experience.
Production and Compounding
A. Henares-López, V. Collados-Arroyo, C. Mayo-López, R. Fernández-Caballero, L. Carrasco-Piernavieja
A new magistral formulation and mixes management program was developed in the Farmatools® software to optimize the procedures and records of this area.
The correct management of compounded formulation is important for the labor of a pharmacy service, ensuring safe preparation and adequate traceability. In our pharmacy service we only had a simple formula registration program that only allowed formulas to be added to the stock but the rest of the work (protocols, batches, preparation staff, validation) was recorded on paper.
Taking advantage of the implementation of the Farmatools® software in our pharmacy service that already had a simple compounding module, it was necessary to carry out a development to add improvements such as registration of raw materials, quarantine states, expiration notices, creation of manufacturing protocols for each preparation, formula programming calendars, improvement of the traceability system (new batch records and other necessary data in the case of biological material), quality controls such as mass uniformity control for capsules, validation section of the formula prepared for the pharmacist, registration of manufacturing staff, improvement of data present on the manufacturing label.
This work was possible thanks to the help of the farmatools® IT staff with whom we held regular meetings.
A correct stock of the amount of real raw materials existing in the pharmacy was achieved, complete computerization of the registry of preparations of magistral formulation, including batches, expiration dates, quarantines and necessary quality control records, creation of an electronic recipe book, approval or rejection of elaborate formulas and eliminating any paper records.
There are still new developments to be implemented, such as the creation of a calendar of scheduled work and a list that allows viewing the preparations pending validation by the pharmacist. Finally, it would be necessary to implement tablets that contain work protocols to avoid the use of paper.
With this program it has been possible to unify the work of the production area in a single program, which results in an improvement in traceability and fluidity in the work.
Production and Compounding
Grangeia R, Pereirinha P, Rodrigues R, Salvador R, Marques M, Queirós M, Moreia A, Cunha E, Lebre AC.
The increase in cancer incidence, combined with new and more innovative oncology treatments, leads to the necessity to increase the compounding capacity of oncology medicines. This consequently has a negative impact on the workload of oncology pharmacists. About 80% of these medicines are to be administered during the morning or early afternoon, affecting the response time due to the large workload and lack of production capacity in short periods.
The ready-to-use model allows to:
1. Reduce the morning workload and distribute tasks equitably throughout the day, since fixed doses are prepared in the afternoon or at the weekend;
2. Medication is readily available for administration;
3. Reduce medication-related errors.
A ready-to-use model was implemented for those medicines whose dose is fixed, as part of a strategy to optimize the unit’s human resources.
This model is based on three foundations:
• Standard aseptic handling plus the use of closed system transfer devices (CSTD);
• Microbiological control upon batch release;
• Robust bibliography that supports the physical-chemical stability used as a reference for expiration dates.
It was implemented in two phases:
1- Preparation of a test batch of fixed-doses, with elaboration of the specific protocols, compounding procedures and labels;
2- Full implementation of the model, with implementation of a digital circuit.
The first medicines included were: daratumumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab and pertuzumab.
The ready-to-use model was evaluated at three levels:
1. Financial impact: positive balance. Medicine vials are saved since compounding is done at the same time. The ratio between the investment required to acquire CSTD and the saved is 1:4,5;
2. Preparation time: Similar to normal compounding;
3. Annual effectiveness rate – 54%: This is the percentage of fixed doses that were prepared in advance.
The model proved to be effective in improving human resources management. With the effectiveness rate obtained, 4% of the total medicines that are administered are previously prepared. This value could reach 8% when the model is fully implemented.
It can be replicated in a dose-banding system12. Selecting, for example, rituximab, 5-FU and azacitidine, 25% of the daily preparations depends only on the time profitability of the cytotoxic preparation unit.
Production and Compounding
Viviana Montoya, Camilo Fuertes, Viana Berdugo, Mercedes Meneses, Monica Castaño.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the health sector represent approximately 4.4% of global net emissions, equivalent to two billion tons of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that the processes carried out in the compounding pharmacy contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions and high costs associated with their execution.
1.Establish the activities and consumables with the greatest impact on the carbon footprint from the compounding pharmacy processes.
2.Carry out a comparison between the consumables with the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions versus a more SUSTAINABLE alternative.
3.Determine the reduction of the environmental and economic impact achieved through the implementation of SUSTAINABLE strategies.
The activities and consumables with the greatest environmental impact were characterized and sustainable strategies focused on reducing and optimizing these resources were proposed. The necessary information was collected to calculate the carbon footprint of each consumable (annual consumption, weight, emission factors) and the costs from its acquisition to final disposal to evaluate the total carbon footprint avoided and the economic savings achieved.
The implementation of SUSTAINABLE strategies in the pharmaceutical service compounding pharmacy showed a considerable decrease in the carbon footprint, in addition to significant economic savings. It is estimated for the year 2024 to reduce the carbon footprint by a total of 161.133 Kg CO2eq and achieve economic savings of 906.324.240 COP (214.212 US dollars), which is equivalent to 663,225.15 Km and represents 24 round trips from Cali, Colombia to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and 16,5 trips around the world.
It was possible to establish a baseline to evaluate the environmental impact that the compounding pharmacy currently has and with this, continue searching for strategies that allow achieving a totally sustainable compounding pharmacy. In addition, the results allowed us to raise awareness about the importance of small actions in an objective as large as the decarbonization of the health sector.
Production and Compounding
Guillaume BOUGUEON1,2 ; Mélissa WANG1 ; Jean-Marc Bernadou1, Maîté Sangnier 1, Aude BERRONEAU1
1 Pharmaceutical Technology Department, Bordeaux University Hospital, Avenue de Magellan, 33604 Pessac, France
2 ARNA Laboratoire ChemBioPharm U1212 INSERM – UMR 5320 CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, France
We work within a university hospital, in an injectable drug production unit. We produce around 55,000 preparations a year, and ten years ago decided to implement analytical control (identification and dosing) (i.e. HPLC then followed by UV-Raman spectrophotometry (QCRX®)) as a post-process control method. To date, around one hundred assays are carried out daily (representing 50% of preparations produced), and some thirty different active substances are analyzed.
For the past 4 years, a monthly meeting has been devoted to monitoring the compliance of analytical assays for our preparations.
We felt it was essential to take a step back from our control activity, to enable us to monitor and analyze assay compliance in detail, to distinguish between preparation errors and errors linked to control equipment, and to detect upstream any deviations in assay methods or material damage.
Monthly one-hour meetings have been set up. These multidisciplinary meetings are attended by 6 people, including senior and student pharmacists, pharmacy technician and a laboratory technician.
During these meetings, the following are presented: the number of assays and their nature (1st assay or 2nd assay following a 2nd sample); the number of non-compliant assays (outside the limit of +/- 15% of the target concentration), the overall compliance rate; an analysis of rejected and destroyed preparations, with an investigation into the causes of non-compliance.
Corrective action may then be taken: early maintenance of equipment, quarantine of analytical methods and research into the causes of drift, implementation of new dosing methods. Feedback is then given to the whole team.
These monthly meetings have enabled us to anticipate analytical drifts and reinforce our team’s compliance to this type of control. They also enable us to limit the downtime of dosing methods and the need for double visual checks, a potential source of errors.
The aim is to eventually increase the proportion of analytical control to over 50% of preparations produced. This will involve the introduction of new dosing methods for preparations usually controlled by double visual inspection, and the acquisition of additional equipment
Production and Compounding
K.LEROUET; M. DELAMOTTE; F.VITET. S.CRAUSTE-MANCIET; A.LEBRETON; F.LAGARCE
Our Chemotherapy Reconstitution Unit (CRU) needed to replace its two double workstation isolators and high efficiency particulate air filters, taking the unit out of service for six weeks. With 40,000 injectable chemotherapy treatments performed each year, outsourcing was not an option. We had to find a solution to temporarily relocate the activity to a new area within our facility.
Our aim was to ensure continuity of the manufacturing process for injectable anticancer drugs in accordance with Good Preparation Practices in a temporary CRU.
Eighteen months ahead of schedule, we set up multidisciplinary working groups consisting of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, biomedical and technical service staff and health care managers.
Inspired by the few french hospitals that had already carried out this project, we studied the process and the choice of space and equipment required. We also drew up procedures and a backlog schedule.
Twenty-three work sessions of 1 hour were organised. We chose a chemo-truck (ModuGuard®), with three workstations inside two positive pressure isolators. We acquired new equipment to adapt to the spaces created specifically for this project (transport crates, walky-talkies, operating room gowns). We planned the qualification of the mobile grade D controlled area and isolators. The production flow was rethought, with extended production hours and more human resources. Our production was divided into 4 zones with different tasks: tray preparation and pharmaceutical validation, chemotherapy preparation, pharmaceutical release and preparation dispatch. Good communication between the different areas was essential to the success of our project. In comparison to the reference process, no additional non-conformity where noticed. We communicated with the care units many months ahead to anticipate logistic issues.
The overall feedback from the teams was good, thanks to the cohesiveness that was created, although staff were tired. No adverse events were reported, although occasional delays in preparation were noted. Anticipation of needs and day-to-day adaptability were essential to the success of this project. A budget of €80,000 was required to complete our project. This organisation allowed us to maintain a level of production equivalent to our CRU. This publication is intended to help inform healthcare organisations undertaking similar projects.
Production and Compounding
F. Gaume, A. Ifrah, S. Vrignaud
In 2023, an evaluation of professional practices (EPP) targeting the risk of microbiological contamination was carried out in our parenteral nutrition production unit. This EPP took the form of an internal observational practice audit and revealed several non-conformities (compliance with disinfectant exposure time, identification of right times for change gloves and performance of surface sampling) requiring the implementation of a structured and collaborative improvement plan.
From January to October 2024, an improvement plan in 3 phases has been performed.
Phase 1 – Audit results: Presentation to unit technicians by pharmacists, followed by a discussion session.
Phase 2 – Development of improvement actions: Brainstorming sessions with the team to generate ideas for corrective actions / Evaluation of proposals collected according to 6 criteria (speed, relevance, feasibility, motivation, safety and cost) using an impact matrix / Creation of a structured action plan based on the selected proposals.
Phase 3 – Implementation of actions: Creation of working groups / Monitoring of the improvement process / Development of a plan to assess the effectiveness of actions.
Phase 1 – Audit results presentation: 2 sessions were held in January 2024 with the 13 technicians of the unit. The discussions allowed us to discuss the non-conformities observed during the audit and ensured understanding of the challenges identified.
Phase 2 – Development of improvement actions: 2 sessions were held in March 2024 /10 improvement actions were listed and evaluated. 4 actions were considered as priority, 4 as recommended and 2 as non-priority / Setting up of a Gantt chart to give an overview of the actions to be carried out, their estimated duration and deadlines.
Phase 3 – Implementation of actions: implementation of the 4 priority actions and the 4 recommended actions / Creation of a quality document concerning glove changes and modification of 8 quality documents / Consideration of ways of evaluating actions: quick audit, questionnaire, etc.
As a follow-up to this work, a questionnaire will be prepared for the technicians to assess the overall approach. A quick audit focusing on glove changes will be introduced soon to assess the impact of the improvement plan.
Production and Compounding
Phontep Wongkrasoe; Wongsathorn Padungsupalai
Premixed customize CRRT solutions were compounded by sterile pharmacy.
According to the medication management policy, CRRT solution was defined as
High Alert Drugs that require the independent double check throughout the
medication use system. Conventional methods (prepared by nurses) take many
risks and may affect the quality of ICU-patients care by spending more time
for preparing.
Nephrologists, nurses, and pharmacists made a consensus for standard
customized CRRT solution formulas and clarified the ordering (for physician),
dispensing (for pharmacist) and preparing (for nurse to add potassium)
instructions. The procedure for compounding CRRT solutions by sterile
pharmacy was established to optimize traceability aspects as a quality
assurance. With the large batch size compounding, we mockup the preliminary
batch to identify the risk and assure the consistency of compounding process.
Quality control was planned to measure electrolyte content and test sterility
at D0, D7 and D14 at room temperature and refrigerated storage. After the
preliminary batch test was accepted, we started a pilot service in one ward
and reached the maximum service capacity at only one patient per day. The
pharmacists redesigned the compounding process, and the repeater pump was
introduced to increase capacity. Because the product was changed in total
volume from one liter to 1.2 liter, we conducted the preliminary batch test
again. Teams revised the ordering, dispensing, and preparing instructions and
expanded the service to 7 ICU wards.
We formulated 2 CRRT solutions in the name of “Chulasol-22 1.2 liter” and
“Chulasol-35 1.2 liter” with BUD 14 days at room temperature storage. The
results were (1) we can provide the CRRT solution for maximum 5 patients per
day compared to only one patient per day in the initial period, (2) the cost
of pharmacy compounded solution was much lower than conventional method or
comparable commercial solution and (3) most nurses (91%) were satisfied in
product quality and had more time for patient care.
The success of this model was a multidisciplinary engagement that resulted in
improvement of patient care. We use this model in other services such as pain
preparations and eye preparations.
Production and Compounding
Susana Fraga, Cláudia Cunha, Susana Pissarra , Carla Sampaio, Diana Silva, Pedro Soares, Teresa Soares, Renata Barbosa
Human milk banks (HMBs) must use rigorous quality assurance practices to protect infants and milk processing, and post-pasteurization procedures are important in maintaining high-quality breast milk and safeguarding its quality.
The compounding pharmacist has all the knowledge and experience needed to implement processing circuits based on good handling practices and sterile technique, combined with quality assurance procedures to ensure their safety.
Pharmacy implementation of the Donor Human Milk (DHM) processing circuit (by pasteurization) and conditions.
Bibliographical research and critical analysis of the functioning of HMB worldwide, with multidisciplinary meetings to define the best and most secure quality practices.
Equipment choice, in accordance with recommendations and assessment of their technical requirements.
Adaptation of the informatic medical integrated system to the DHM prescription, processing, quality control and dispensing circuit.
Design of the DHM circuit based on good practices for the safe use of products of human origin and on a robust quality assurance plan.
A DHM circuit was put into practice, with pharmacist intervention in DHM processing, quality control, and batch release.
Procedures for aseptic handling, quality control with check points and risk analysis, packaging, and labelling of DHM were outlined.
Work instructions were also established for handling equipment (pasteuriser, bottle sealer, laminar flow chamber) as well as procedures for cleaning facilities and material/equipment, with training sessions for the professionals involved.
The multidisciplinary circuit was adapted to the organisational management of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), HMB, and Pharmaceutical Services, certified on 18 April 2023 according to ISO 9001:2015 recommendations.
Guidelines for the correct use of equipment in accordance with its recommendations and technical requirements were established.
Opening more HMB worldwide is an inevitability. Prevailing know how at the level of hospital pharmacies represent several advantages to these projects, based on experience and expertise in manipulating biological products and maintaining a controlled circuit based on safety and quality standards.
