FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 14 November 2011

Chief Operating Officer of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) Jennie De Greef today announced the appointment of Richard Price to the new position of Policy and Advocacy Officer.

Richard will join the EAHP in January to lead the association’s advocacy efforts in Brussels and Strasbourg on important issues such as the Professional Qualifications Directive, the Medical Devices Directive and the Patient Information Directive. Richard has 9 years experience of representing organisations’ interests to European, national, and regional government audiences. He joins from the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

Jennie De Greef said:

EAHP is delighted that Mr. Price is joining us and we are quite certain that he will complement our continuously growing team dedicated to furthering the goals of the organisation.

Richard Price said:

“I am delighted to be joining the EAHP at this exciting time for the hospital pharmacy profession. The review of the Professional Qualifications Directive provides an opportunity for the profession’s development in the last twenty five years to be better recognised in relation to labour mobility issues. There are also a range of other current Commission initiatives that would benefit from an enhanced understanding by policy makers and legislators of the views and position of hospital pharmacy. I look forward to working closely with national associations to ensure their experiences are taken into account in these representations, and that the best possible outcomes are delivered from EAHP activity in this area.”

Notes to Editors

1. Richard Price has been the Policy Advisor at the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland for the past 4 years, before which he worked for an international public affairs consultancy in London delivering communications and campaign programmes for a range of health sector organisations.

1. The Professional Qualifications Directive is currently under review by the European Commission with an intention of modernising its content in 2012. The Directive is the principal legislative instrument under which the mobility of health professionals operates. The EAHP seeks to ensure the particular requirements of hospital pharmacy are recognised within the scope of the Directive’s review and that the development of the hospital pharmacy profession in the past 25 years is better recognised.

1. In 2012 the Commission will also be conducting a review of the Medical Devices Directive and taking forward a new Directive on Patient Information, both of which will have impacts upon hospital pharmacy.

1. The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists is a working community of national associations of hospital pharmacists. Its membership includes representatives of national hospital pharmacy associations in almost all of the European Union (EU) member states, in addition to Switzerland, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia (FYROM) and Bosnia Herzegovina. It represents the interests of over 21,000 hospital pharmacists in 31countries of Europe.

For further information please contact coo@eahp.eu .