Reconstitution of cytotoxic drugs in the Steyr hospital in line with GMP

IntroductionFollowing the inclusion of GoodManufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelinesin Austria’s legal statutes, under theterms of the Medical Preparations Act,hospital pharmacies supplying medicinesprepared in-house for other hospitalsmust apply for production authorisation.The newly built hospital pharmacyat the Steyr Regional Hospital, Austria,had already been designed in accordancewith GMP guidelines and, therefore,consent was sought for the production ofpatient-related cytotoxic drugs and otherparenteral preparations. Approval wasgranted in February 2009. Read more here...

Economic aspects of drug supply in hospitals: historical perspective

On 16 August 1784, the

newly built Vienna General

Hospital opened its

gates to the public. This

event marked a change in

the role of hospitals. While from ancient

times hospitals had been mixed-purpose

institutions caring for the poor, the sick and

the elderly, the new purpose was the treatment

of (ideally) curable diseases. Professor

Josef Quarin (1733–1814), appointed

Chief Medical Officer by Emperor Joseph

II (1741–1790), was ordered to prepare a

suitable dispensatory based on maximum

cost-effectiveness and avoidance of any

waste or spurious substances. Read more here...

Changing legislation in Austrian hospital pharmacy: challenges and opportunities

In the last three years, the development of hospital pharmacy has been strongly influenced by new legal regulations, especially as EU legislation has been transposed into national law. Read more here...