8.1 The common training framework and professional mobility matters

Return to 2015 GA agenda page here.

Since the last General Assembly…

Amendments to the EU’s Professional Qualification Directive permitting specialisations of pharmacy to apply to the European Commission for legal cross border recognition were achieved at the end of 2013. More information on, and materials from, the advocacy campaign here and here.

Such recognition can be achieved through a tool known as a ‘common training framework’. This a mechanism by which a minimum 1/3 EU member states (currently calculated as 10) can come together to decide common knowledge, skills and competencies provided by a national professional qualification in participating countries and agree mutual recognition. The process of can be lead by professional associations such as EAHP and its members – though realistically approval from national governments and national competent authorities for qualification recognition will be required. More information about the common training framework tool is available here.

EAHP and its members have campaigned for many decades to achieve a more European approach to the matter of specialisation with numerous previous attempts made to amend and propose EU legislation to this purpose. The benefits of achieving a common EU approach are many, but first and foremost, would be an important delivery method for raising standards of care for patients in hospital around Europe. More information on the potential benefits available from a common training framework for hospital pharmacy specialisation is available here. 

Charting the way forward, early 2014

In the early part of 2014 EAHP consulted with its membership about the way forward to pursue the project of forming a common training framework for hospital pharmacy specialisation in Europe (Congress and GA 2014). In order to keep the initial stages of project management logistically appropriate, and reflect the challenge of coordinating existing legal specialisms, activity commenced with those EAHP members within the EU and with legally mandatory forms of hospital pharmacy specialisation. This was initially calculated as the 6 countries: Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. The Czech Republic was later invited as the 7th country meeting the criteria.

The November 2014 ‘kick off meeting’

A ‘kick off’ meeting for the project was held in Brussels in November 2014 to explore how the project should be managed. Advice was taken from Ms Sophie Weisswange, the lead official at the European Commission overseeing the development of the new common training framework. Amongst her early points of advice was the need to:

• conduct robust mapping of competencies between potential CTF applicant countries in order to gain a stronger understanding of where the commonalities and differences in taught competencies across Europe resides, and better understand what changes may be required to bring 10 countries into the necessary alignment for a common training framework
• to fully understand the communication challenges that are typically presented by efforts to form qualification recognition mechanisms. A challenge of trust in other national systems is often an obstacle to overcome in terms of securing national government agreement to new qualification recognition provisions.
• to conduct the activity of common training framework development in a demonstrably transparent and open fashion, as mandated under the terms of the common training framework provisions within the EU Professional Qualifications Directive (Article 49a, paragraph 2).

The meeting then heard presentations about the history and nature of the specialisation programmes in each of the 6 represented countries. Early reflections from among the group present included that while methods of teaching and governance for national hospital programmes might be quite separate, the end result (the trained hospital pharmacist) may not be enormously different, and therefore the scope for forming a common training framework should exist.

The agenda, presented materials and full report of the November 2014 meeting are available here. 

The creation of the CTF Steering Committee, December 2014

The November 2014 meeting determined that a Steering Committee was required to oversee the project, which should be formed via nominations after the meeting from the countries present. The Steering Committee should ensure all necessary tasks for CTF formation are completed, including the competency mapping exercise. 

In December 2014 the following Steering Committee was created: Ian Bates (Chair); Fons Verbruggen (Belgium, Vice-Chair); Petr Horak (Czech Republic, also an EAHP Board Member); Aurelie Guerin (France); Paolo Serra (Italy); Andreia Bruno/Antonio Gouveia (Representation for Portugal); Eduardo Echarri (Spain); Jos Kosterink (The Netherlands); Kees Neef (EAHP Director of Education, Science and Research); Roberto Frontini (EAHP President); Joan Peppard (EAHP President-Elect); Juraj Sykora (EAHP Director of Professional Development).

January 2015 Steering Committee meeting

The new Steering Committee met in January 2015 in order to settle matters of governance and project methodology. After reflecting further on the outcomes of discussion and workshop at the November 2014 meeting, 3 prime needs were identified:

• The conduct of the competency mapping exercise;

• The gathering of an evidence base to support the creation and communication of the common training framework; and,

• The deployment of strategic communication activity to foster the required political will to create the framework

The meeting therefore agreed the need to form 3 working groups to conduct these activities. The working groups should draw in expertise and input from across the breadth of the EAHP membership. Some initial scoping of advisory action plans for the working groups was also conducted.

Following the January 2015 meeting Andreia Bruno, Roberto Frontini and Joan Peppard accepted invitations to chair the competency mapping, evidence gathering and communication working groups respectively. A call for participation in the working groups was made to the EAHP membership and is available here.

Information about the recruited working groups is available here. 

The Working Groups will hold their first meetings the weekend of 16-17 May 2015 in Brussels and a verbal report will be provided on the progress and outcomes of these meetings at the General Assembly.

Next steps…

To pursue the Action Plans of the 3 Working Groups, in particular the achievement of a comprehensive competency mapping exercise as an early project item towards creation of a draft common training framework

Links to other background information

Other professional mobility matters