The development of these Statements  would not have been possible without the input and support of a number of European based Patient Groups and Healthcare Professional Groups, who worked alongside our national associations that represent Hospital Pharmacists.

The starting point was a simple question, ‘what should patients expect of a hospital pharmacy service?’, with the added dimension of ‘how should hospital pharmacists contribute within the multidisciplinary team’. For healthcare professionals, the latter provides a framework so that they know what to expect from a hospital pharmacy, whether that be related to the supply of medicines of the involvement of a hospital pharmacist in multi-disciplinary working.

Doctors and nurses are identified as separate stakeholder groups within the broad definition of healthcare professionals because, like pharmacists, their primary qualification is covered by the Sectoral Directive of the EU Professional Qualifications Directive, 

What we have now is a set of Statements on which there is a consensus as to their importance. The Statement are not intended to be standards, some are aspirational and may take years to deliver while others are routed in the legislative framework provided by European Union and therefore obligatory for member states.

While all 44 of the Statements are relevant to any healthcare professional that uses medicines or medical devices in their day to day practice, you will find more information on those that are perhaps more important by clicking on the link below, ‘Who are the Statements for?’

Glossary of Terms

In developing the Statements it became clear that phrases meant very different things, not just between healthcare professionals and patients but also between hospital pharmacists. There was the additional challenge that the development process was undertaken in English, not the first language for the majority of those involved. As a consequence a Glossary of Terms was produced that clarified the intended meaning, i.e. the definition, of words and phrases that caused difficulty within the Statements together with the provision of a ‘source’ for that definition. The Glossary can be found here.

Medical Devices

Throughout the Statements, where the term medicines is used, medical devices are also included for countries in which hospital pharmacists have responsibility for this area. All the statements were agreed with the intention of improving the safety of patients.

Updating the Statements

Legislation and practice changes over time, so there will be a need to make sure the Statements remain current. Should you feel that something important to patient care has been over-looked or that a particular Statement is either not relevant any more or needs a major update because of legislative changes then please contact us at Statements@eahp.eu