EAHP represents over 30,000 hospital pharmacists across 37 member countries. EAHP represents and develops the hospital pharmacy profession within Europe in order to ensure the continuous improvement of care and outcomes for patients in the hospital setting. This is achieved through science, research, education, practice, as well as sharing best-practice and responsibility with other healthcare professional
The EAHP Board, elected for three-year terms, oversees the association’s activities. Comprising directors responsible for core functions, it meets regularly to implement strategic goals. Supported by EAHP staff, the Board controls finances, coordinates congress organization, and ensures compliance with statutes and codes of conduct.
The EAHP staff supports the Board in executing EAHP’s mission. The Staff assists in financial management, events organisations, policy activities and all EAHP projects. The EAHP staff works closely with EAHP’s members and ensures the effective communication all relevant stakeholders.
The first member countries were Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands in 1972. EAHP has now 36 EAHP members and 2 Associate Members. EAHP is open to countries members of the Council of Europe and since 2022 to organisations representing the interests of hospital pharmacists from outside the Council of Europe (Associate Membership)
EAHP’s structure is also composed by different standing committes: EAHP Scientific Committee, EAHP Education Executive Committee and the EAHP CTF Steering Committee.
At EAHP, we are committed to transparency in our governance, ethical standards, and funding practices. This section provides open access to our foundational documents, including the EAHP Statutes, Code of Conduct, and Funding Sources. By sharing these resources, we aim to uphold accountability and foster trust with our members, partners, and the public.
Keep up with all EAHP’s events and webinars. Contact the team at info@eahp.eu should you have any questions about upcoming events or activities.
Here you can find all upcoming events organised by EAHP and by all its members and associate members. Do not hesitate to contact the events team at events@eahp.eu should you have any questions about the organisation of these events.
Hospital pharmacists conduct a critical role in the care of patients in hospitals. Learn more about what they do here and in all the pages under Hospital Pharmacy practice and Policy.
Self-Assessment
SILCC
Closed SIGs
EAHP brings together experts from many areas of hospital pharmacy practice providing and highlighting good local sustainable practices as that can be up-scaled and shared with other countries. The EAHP Working Group on Sustainability has the aim of reducing the environmental burden of the hospital pharmacy services.
The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP), and its 36 member country platforms are creating a Common Training Framework for the hospital pharmacy education in Europe. The goal of this project is to allow the free movement of hospital pharmacists within the European Union.
The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) have collaboratively developed the Oath to Society. The Oath to Society is all encompassing and acts as a contract for excellence in providing compassionate patient care, working as part of the healthcare team and advancing the pharmacy profession, and showcasing how clinical and hospital pharmacists work every day
A day created to highlight the importance and to celebrate the work done by hospital pharmacies. This day celebrates all hospital pharmacy teams.
Catch up with EAHP’s press releases
Find all EAHP relevant publication like the EAHP Surveys, annual reports and the history books.
The European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (EJHP) is the only official journal of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and is committed to advancing the science, practice and profession of hospital pharmacy. As the premier communication platform for hospital pharmacists worldwide, EJHP is a major source for continuing education as well as updates on advances in the practice and standard of pharmaceutical care for patients.
When EAHP and Hospital pharmacists appear in the news.
EAHP publishes a monthly EU monitor with updates about the latest EAHP initiatives and information relevant for the hospital pharmacy profession.
Sponsor Channel
The Sponsor Channel is designed to maximise visibility and engagement, allowing sponsors to connect with the hospital pharmacy community and partners in a dynamic and interactive environment. From product demonstrations to networking sessions, the Sponsor Channel offers a range of opportunities for sponsors to showcase their offerings and generate leads in the new EAHP Website.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
A. KANDEL (1), L. CABRIT (1), C. HUMARAUT (1), A. MASSRI (2), C. TAILHADES (1), S. ARRAKI ZAVA (1), V. GRENOUILLEAU (1)
(1) Pharmacy Department, Medical Devices Unit, Pau Hospital Center, France
(2) Intensive care unit, Pau Hospital Center, France
Medical devices (MDs) and drugs account for 55% of the carbon footprint of a hospital’s French healthcare system, making this sector a key focus for the ecological transition. The MD sector alone is responsible for 32% of our hospital’s CO2 emissions, underlining the need to rethink our practices in order to reduce our environmental impact.
Elimination of waste produced unnecessarily by optimising customised packs (CP) containing the MD required for treatment.
After a multidisciplinary team (pharmacists, intensive care units, anaesthetists, nurses) was put together, packs containing unused medical devices (UMD) were identified in 2 pilot departments: anaesthesia and intensive care. The packs were weighed with and without the UMD. The savings in terms of waste weight and carbon footprint were calculated according to the type of waste: general waste or biohazardous waste. In conjunction with the medical teams and suppliers, the re-evaluation of the MD required and the withdrawal of UMDs led to the updating of CP in the pilot departments.
The packs identified include: the suture pack (SP), the central venous line pack (CVL) and the epidural pack (EP). Over one year, the weight of waste avoided was: 64 kg for the SP, 87 kg for the CVL pack, 55 kg for the EP. After modifying these packs, annual CO2 emissions were reduced by 55% for the SP, 14% for the CVL pack and 8% for the EP, with a total annual saving of €5,423. The annual weight of waste was reduced by 206 kg, a saving of 92 kg of CO2: the equivalent of 86 Paris-London train journeys.
The re-evaluation of CP can generate a significant ecological impact. This initiative is intended to be rolled out on an institutional scale, with the active collaboration of the sustainable development department, and as part of future calls for tender. These adjustments save time for care staff, significantly reduce the carbon footprint, and contribute to the ecological transition. It is essential to strike a balance between economic and environmental imperatives, given the financial constraints facing public hospitals.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Catarina Diogo, Rui Caceiro, Ana Soares, Maria Helena Duarte, Armando Alcobia
The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees (PTCs) of hospitals and local health units ensure the quality and safety of medications, while also contributing to improved stock management and cost reduction. In our hospital, over the past five years, the PTC has held an average of 49 meetings per year, reviewing 792 drug use requests annually, with an approval rate of 95.4%. However, the current procedure, which relies on email-based requests for new drug authorizations, is disjointed and prone to errors, requiring constant and full-time involvement of the responsible pharmacists. Recognizing that technological innovation is essential in optimizing processes within healthcare services, and inspired by the success of the NOA-Digital application, the opportunity arose to develop a new application, this time for the PTC.
Development of a software specifically designed to simplify the authorization request process for new drugs.
A software was development using the Power Apps platform. Between January and May 2024, the needs of the PTC were assessed by gathering input from the participating pharmacists. Subsequently, a software application was developed, allowing for the submission of new authorization requests, the creation of meeting agendas, the review, deliberation, and communication of approval results to the responsible physician, the drafting of meeting minutes, the monitoring of newly approved drugs, as well as access to the status of requests and previous minutes.
The authors believe that this software allows for a more efficient, convenient, and integrated workflow compared to the current email-based system, which is more complex and prone to errors. From a pharmaceutical perspective, this alternative simplifies the workflow, ensuring better access to all relevant information without loss, as well as automating certain tasks—such as creating meeting agendas, drafting minutes, and issuing periodic drug monitoring alerts. Additionally, it is also useful for physicians by facilitating the submission of new authorization requests and notifications of the respective deliberations.
This software is expected to transform the PTC’s authorization request process. The systematic use will allow for determining the potential applicability in PTCs of other hospitals.
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
Irene Ruiz-Jarabo Gómez, Marcos Gómez Bermejo, Rocío Vázquez Sánchez, Antonio Illescas Bermudez, Elena Martín Suarez, Teresa Molina García
Digitization was considered essential in reducing costs related to inventory management and improving responsiveness in critical situations, such as supply shortages. Traditional manual inventory checks and order verifications were time-consuming and error-prone, prompting the need for a digital transformation.
In our quest for enhanced medication procurement efficiency within our Hospital Pharmacy Service, we have developed an integrated database.
We have developed a database by consolidating data from two primary sources: our automated medication storage system, Smart Ulises®, and the Economic Management software, Farmatools®. This database encompassed information related to medications falling below predefined minimum stock levels, historical acquisition records, pending medication orders, and warehouse capacities for each medication. Additionally, it seamlessly integrated data obtained from the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) regarding medication shortages.
This database enabled several essential functionalities:
It generates reports suggesting orders for medications below the minimum stock levels, recommending quantities based on historical acquisitions and available storage space.
By considering the suppliers for medications at minimum stock levels, it also identifies medications in alert status (1/3 above the minimum stock) for these suppliers.
Cross-referencing with AEMPS’ medication supply problem database swiftly detects critical medications during shortages
It permits agile identification of pending medication orders.
It identifies locations with incomplete medication inventories and propose medication grouping within our automated medication storage system.
The outcomes of our project were transformative:
We streamlined medication procurement significantly and maximized each medication supply request while promoting sustainability by reducing laboratory-specific medication orders.
We optimized storage space within our automated medication storage system, aligning medication orders precisely with storage capacities for each medication, leading to more efficient space utilization and reduced storage costs.
Early detection of medication shortages enabled proactive preparation of alternative solutions to effectively mitigate shortages.
Simplification of tracking pending medication orders enhanced operational efficiency in claim processing or supplier changes.
Our next phase focuses on continuous system improvement. This involves incorporating additional data sources to refine medication supply predictions and exploring the potential for complete automation of the medication ordering process. We will also enhance performance measurement to evaluate the effectiveness of our improvements.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Samantha HUYNH, Olivia MAZZASCHI, Valérie TALON, Emilie MOREAU
Healthcare systems face a growing need to balance patient care with environmental responsibility. This approach was initiated at the request of surgeons and was proposed during institutional committees addressing environmental issues.
Our aim was to perform a comprehensive analysis of the potential benefits and challenges associated with the substitution of single-use medical devices (SUDs) with reprocessable medical devices (RMDs) within a hospital setting.
We evaluated environmental, economic and organizational impact of this transition by comparing the carbon footprints and costs associated with the substitution of SUDs (suture and antiseptic trays) with RMDs as well as their acceptance by healthcare professionals.
Environmental impact was evaluated by considering manufacturing origin, transportation, and material composition, calculating carbon equivalence based on weight. The energy and water consumption during the sterilization process of RMDs was also included in the carbon footprint quantification.
Economic considerations included SUDs purchasing and management costs as well as acquisition and sterilization costs for RMDs.
Observational audits (n=30) and user satisfaction surveys (n=7) were conducted to evaluate the acceptance of RMDs.
RMDs led to a significant reduction in the carbon footprint for both devices. The carbon equivalence for suture trays was reduced from 7.1 kg eqCO2 for SUDs to 4.0 kg eqCO2 for RMDs; for antiseptic trays, SUDs generated 2.2 kg eqCO2 while RMDs 1.1 kg eqCO2. The potential annual reduction of CO2 emissions is 5.2 tonnes per year.
The economic analysis showed that the initial investment in RMDs could be recovered within a remarkably short timeframe (10 months for antiseptic trays, 5 years for suture trays) making it a viable long-term cost-saving strategy.
User feedback showed a preference for RMDs despite slight inconveniences, with 71% of respondents supporting the reduction of SUDs and 83% perceiving RMDs as of superior quality.
Our findings underscore the feasibility and benefits of transitioning to RMDs, with a significant reduction in carbon footprint and economic viability. While complete elimination of SUDs presents challenges, a balanced approach prioritizing sustainability without compromising quality of care is possible. We believe that this approach can be replicated in diverse healthcare settings, contributing to a more sustainable future management.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Douwe van der Meer, Peder Nygard
In our hospital 30% of the daily distributed medication for individual patients was not administered. Reasons for not administering were for example lack of need because of patients clinical performance, discontinuation of prescriptions or early discharge. Because of safety concerns, like mix-ups, our standard procedure was to discard all returned medication. This resulted in a waste of about 220.000 pills annually.
We reduced medicine waste by 90% by reusing returned medication from our medical wards. With this result we made an important step for our hospital to meet the national sustainability goals in the Dutch ‘Healthcare Green Deal (3.0)’.
Reusing returned medication brings multiple safety concerns. By performing a prospective risk analysis we identified three major risks: mix-ups, expired medication and accepting non-qualitative packages (like slightly opened blisters or incomplete labels). With these risks identified we redefined our distribution process on four key elements: 1) Every medication has a barcode on unit level and if not, is labelled by our team through duplicating the ‘Falsified Medicine Directive’-barcodes to small 2D barcode labels which includes expiration date. 2) All returned medication is checked by a pharmacy employee on major quality aspects. 3) Returned medication is placed in a separate ‘return-box’ in front of the original stock inside the distribution cabinet. 4) Expiration dates are checked more frequently and are checked upon distribution and administration through barcode scanning.
The new distribution process was implemented in all of our eight distribution cabinets and resulted in saving 90% of the returned medication; witch amount to 200.000 pills and 70.000 euro savings annually. On average we work with 6 employees daily, who need 15 minutes extra per person per day to process returned medication.
Our goal is to save all returned medication that meets our quality standards. 5% of the returns that are not reused are medicines not included in the assortments of the specific distribution cabinet, so extra logistic and administrative steps are needed to place them back in the pharmacy stock. We are exploring new ways to make this next step in reducing medication waste further.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Leonor Romero, Paloma Lozano, Veronica Canales, Vanesa Dechado, Marta Puebla, Ricardo Villarubia, Isamar Gomez, Estefanía Ramírez, Juan Rodríguez, Belén Soto
According to Directive 2011/62/EU, one of the measures is the inclusion in the secondary packaging of the drug of a Unique Identifier that allows the recognition of a unitary case at any point in the supply chain until it is dispensed to the patient. Another is the development of a European repository that allows the traceability of medicinal products for human use within the European market. In Spain, in accordance with Article 84.1 of Royal Decree 717/2019 of 5 December 2009, the SNSFarma Node was established as an instrument for technological integration and information exchange with the national repository known as the SEVeM.
The logistics company of our hospital aggregates several codes corresponding to the Datamatrix of the individual containers in an electronic file, in order to send the reading automatically to Spanish Medicines Verification System (SEVeM).
The shipment of the drugs and the electronic file will be linked by the Seria Shipping Container Code (SSCC), which will univocally guarantee traceability between the two. The Pharmacy Service staff receive the delivery notes by reading the barcode without the need to scan the Datamatrix of each container.
Since the implementation of this project between July 2023 to September 2023, a total of 61 delivery notes have been registered under the code aggregation system with 27 suppliers involved. The number of packages read was 2151.
This project ensures the automatic sending of readings to SEVeM and to facilitate the reception of delivery notes at the Pharmacy Services by barcode reading.
This has allowed pharmacy staff to save time in receiving delivery notes, to improve traceability of batches and expiry dates of medicines, to improve stock control thanks to the confirmation of quantities received and to verify the medicines in accordance with European regulations to fight medicine falsifications and ensure that medicines are safe and that the trade in medicines is rigorously controlled.
A limitation is the existence of suppliers that are not involved in this project since their delivery is not done through the logistics company. In these cases, the datamatrix reading must be performed on each container individually.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Minke Jongsma, Marja Bogaards
The use of medication is related to almost one-fifth of the total CO2 emission caused by the public health sector. Conservative estimates reveal that the amount of medication distributed by public pharmacies but wasted (thrown away unused) by patients in the Netherlands equalizes a total amount of 100 million euro. Data regarding medication waste in Dutch hospitals is not yet available.
We analyzed the stream of medication waste in our hospital and tried to reduce this by addressing the main causes.
In our hospital setting, medication for each in-hospital patient is distributed daily for the next 24 hours by the hospital pharmacy. All unused medication is returned to the hospital pharmacy. We quantified and analyzed all returned unused medication in our hospital on 9 separate days.
On average, 27,9% of all medication distributed to in-hospital patients is daily returned to the hospital pharmacy. The largest part of this returned medication, 83.5% (23.3% of all medication distributed to in-hospital patients) is wasted daily. This equalizes a total amount of 87.500 counts yearly, representing a value of 41.000 euro. In terms of waste, 60 medical waste bins of 50 liter (a total volume of 3000 L) are needed to dispose of this medical waste.
Analysis of the main causes reveal that distributing both parenteral medication and medication prescribed ‘as needed’ to in-hospital patients contribute largely to medication waste, as well as the inability to adequately anticipate on the discharge of patients.
By addressing the main causes we can decrease medication waste by 45%. Further reduction can be achieved by considering re-uptake of returned medication in our main stock. Our medication distribution process, however, is mainly based on financial and quality based decisions, which excludes re-uptake. But should impact on planetary health not also be considered? To realise this, though, both ecotoxicologic data as well as information related to environmental impact of medication production should be available and easily accessible.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
MARIANNE DE LACROIX DE LA VALETTE
Managing medications in hospitals is both a health and an economic issue.
Hospital pharmacists are working to improve supply, traceability, safety and stock management in order to meet these challenges.
Healthcare staff must be able to administer the medications prescribed to patients in complete safety, with the products available at the time of order. The management of medications within the department represents a significant amount of time that needs to be reduced.
The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of deploying automated dispensing cabinets (ADC) in a cardiac surgery intensive care unit within a university hospital in France.
In 2022, an on-site study was conducted in the cardiac intensive care unit (18 beds) at Rennes University Hospital. The aim was to quantify the time allocated to manage medications before and after the installation of the automated dispensing cabinet.
Several types of measurable metrics were identified and compared. These include picking time for nurses of medications for administration to the patient; time allocated for ordering and storing medications; time to respond to emergency orders; management of narcotics; and time in the management of expired medications.
A comparison of the pre and post installation of the automated dispensing cabinet showed nursing time savings in the picking of controlled drugs of 53%. Overall restocking time was decreased by 9%. The number of urgent order requests to pharmacy was decreased by 51%.
The time allocated towards removing expired medications was reduced by 3.8 days / year (nurse FTE). Lastly, the implementation of automated dispensing cabinets reduced the value of the department’s stock by 26%.
The time spent by nurses in managing medications was significantly reduced after the installation of automated dispensing cabinets. However, some of this time is transferred to the central pharmacy towards restocking the medications into the automated dispensing cabinets.
The automated dispensing cabinets makes it possible to monitor the stock of medicines in a department on a daily basis. This enables for data driven decision making on selection of decentralized stock and respective quantities to maintain.
The deployment of automated dispensing cabinets improves overall efficiencies and allows more time for nurses to provide direct patient care.
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Bitten Abildtrup, Lone Deleuran, Mira Dysgård, Nina Müller, Sofie Pedersen, Trine Schnor, Ulrik Wøldike
It is estimated that medicine contribute 20% of the Danish regions total CO2e emissions. Amgros and the Hospital Pharmacies of Denmark are committed to develop carbon reduction initiatives to assist the regions CO2e reduction strategy. It is essential to identify the main contributors of CO2e emissions in the lifecycle of a drug to support CO2e reduction.
The Danish procurement organization Amgros I/S is responsible for buying medicine for Danish public hospitals. As part of the ambition for sustainability, The Capital Region Pharmacy (RAP) in collaboration with Amgros has made a bottom-up hotspot life cycle analysis (hLCA) of the carbon-footprint of morphine in tablets and solution for injection. The hLCA identified the main CO2e emission factors from API/excipient production to administration of the drug.
The energy consumption of the production processes was mapped at RAP. Five reference flows were modulated (tablets in three types of primary packaging and solution for injection in two types) and reported. The hLCA data for the API was extracted from literature while data for the excipients and packaging material were calculated using Ecoinvent. Ecoinvent is a life cycle inventory database used to support environmental assessments of products and processes.
The preliminary conclusion of the analysis shows the largest CO2e emissions per DDD originates from administering the drug due to the use of single-use materials.
Leaving out administration of the drug, the main CO2e emissions from tablets are API production and packaging materials. Packaging materials are the main CO2e contributor for the solution for injection.
The end report of the LCA was available, end of autumn 2023.
The hLCA’s are being used internally in Amgros to develop criteria for tenders. The hospital pharmacies can use the hLCA calculations to identify key subprocesses where reduction of the CO2e footprint is greatest.
The results contribute to:
• Danish hospital pharmacies better understand the CO2e emissions when prescribing and administering medicines
• Dialogue with the pharmaceutical industry about their CO2e emissions hotspots
Finally, the results will hopefully encourage other countries to incorporate environmental criteria in future medicinal tendering process for medicines.
