The EAHP EU Monitor is a regular round up of news relevant to hospital pharmacy in Europe.

Share your views on automated medication management

EAHP's Special Interest Group (SIG) on Automated Medication Management is currently investigating the benefits of automation. To support its work hospital pharmacists are encouraged to share their views and opinions on the current and future use of automated medication management solutions.

The activity of EAHP's SIG on Automated Medication Management focuses on the benefits of automation, particularly around the medication preparation/ compounding/ dispensing process, and how technology best meets the needs of different hospital pharmacy workflows. The short survey (10 to 15 minutes) seeks to gather input from individual hospital pharmacists. Participation is voluntary and the SIG is looking for one response per hospital pharmacy. Feedback can be shared until the 26th of June 2022 via one of the four different language versions of the survey (English, French, Polish and Slovak).

EAHP's SIG looks forward to receiving your input via the survey on automated medication management.

Access the English version HERE

Access the French version HERE

Access the Polish version HERE

Access the Slovak version HERE

 

Help with improving the preparedness for in-vivo gene therapy medicinal products – take the SIG survey

The Special Interest Group on the hospital pharmacist's preparedness for in-vivo gene therapy medicinal products of EAHP is conducting research. Share your views by the 3rd of June.

Due to the number of licensed formulations on the horizon, the SIG hopes to obtain information on the preparedness of hospital pharmacy departments for the delivery of in-vivo gene therapy medicines to their patients. All information obtained will be kept confidential and will not be used to identify any specific hospitals or individuals. The survey includes questions touching on the hospital pharmacy facilities and the pharmacists working in these facilities. Hospital pharmacists that are not yet working with in-vivo gene therapies are also encouraged to participate in the survey.

EAHP's SIG looks forward to receiving your input on the survey investigating the preparedness of hospital pharmacies for in-vivo gene therapy medicinal products.

Access the survey HERE

 

Roberto Frontini appointed as a member of PRAC

After serving for three years as an alternate representing healthcare professionals on the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Dr Roberto Frontini was appointed as a member representing healthcare professionals nominated by the European Commission earlier this month.

Over the past three years, Dr Frontini learned a lot about the work of the PRAC and the type of input needed from healthcare professionals. Work during the pandemic was very intensive and focused on the safety of vaccines which included carefully balancing risks and advantages. One of his main activities was shaping the working of the summary of product characteristics (SmPC). Collaboration between Dr Frontini and the former member of the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU) was excellent and fruitful. In his role as a member with the right to vote in the PRAC, Dr Frontini is looking forward to a good collaboration with the new alternate also coming from PGEU.

During the next mandate, Dr Frontini will be continuing to be the link between the PRAC and hospital pharmacy practice in particular when it comes to input from healthcare professionals for the practical implementation of advice included in the SmPC and risk management plans.

The PRAC is responsible for risk management related activities, including but not limited to the detection, assessment, minimisation and communication of the risk of adverse reactions. In addition, the committee works on the design and evaluation of post-authorisation safety studies and carries out pharmacovigilance audits. The PRAC is comprised of representatives and alternates from the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. In addition, six independent scientific experts nominated by the European Commission are participating as well as one member and one alternate representing patients organisations nominated by the European Commission and one member and an alternate representing healthcare professionals nominated by the European Commission.

Find out more about the PRAC and its role HERE

 

 

EMA Stakeholder Engagement: biennial report 2020-2021 published

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently released its Stakeholder Engagement Report outlining how the agency interacted with patients, consumers, healthcare professionals and academia in the past two years. The report provides an overview of the key activities of these four groups.

The report touches on stakeholder involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the involvement of healthcare professionals and patients in public stakeholder meetings, vaccine outreach activities and EMA's COVID-19 task force that helped EU Member States and the European Commission take rapid, coordinated regulatory action on the development, authorisation and safety monitoring of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.

Healthcare professionals contributed together with patients through countless medicine-specific activities and they were extensively consulted and involved in many other initiatives such as Big Data, electronic product information, clinical trials regulation, ICH activities and support to academia, including fee waivers.

In December 2021, EMA celebrated ten years of cooperation with healthcare professionals under a formal framework of interaction. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists contribute to EMA's mission by offering independent expertise and by facilitating communication with the wider community of healthcare professionals across the EU. Also, a healthcare professionals policy officers' group was created to complement the activities of the Healthcare Professional Working Party.

Read the Stakeholder Engagement Report HERE

 

 

IMMUNION train the trainers - vaccine confidence and communication

The University of Antwerp works together with the Coalition for Vaccination and other IMMUNION consortium members to provide training. Trainers of (future) healthcare professionals that want to learn more about vaccine hesitancy and communication about vaccines are encouraged to join the next online training session on the 21st of June 2022 from 13.00 to 16.00 CEST.

The program will cover topics such as vaccine confidence, healthcare professional patient relation, communication about vaccines & teaching methods. The target audience is trainers of healthcare professionals that are involved in teaching any type of (future) healthcare professionals, involved in the vaccination process (nurses, midwives, pharmacists, GPs, pediatricians, ....), on the topic of vaccines/vaccination, from all EU member states. Registration is free of charge but mandatory.

IMMUNION is a 2-year project (2021-2023), co-funded by the European Union Health Programme. Its goal is to strengthen the collaboration between healthcare professionals (HCP) and other stakeholders, communicate evidence-based information about vaccination and increase vaccine confidence and uptake.

Learn more about the train the trainers online session HERE

Register HERE

 

 

 

EJHP: The role of clinical trials in the sustainability of the Italian national health service cancer drug expenditure

The European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (EJHP) has published an online first article summarising the findings of a study that aimed at analysing the drug-related cost savings in clinical trials in a cancer institute over a 3 year period. Clinical trials offer new and potentially more effective therapeutic options for cancer patients and a potential cost-saving opportunity, especially considering that trial drugs are provided free of charge. The results of our analysis point to the benefits of participating in and planning clinical trials for the public healthcare sector in Italy.

Read the article HERE

 

 

 

[EAHP Statement Corner]

 

Are you familiar with the commented version of the European Statements?

In November 2021, EAHP published the commented version of its European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy. The commented version provides additional information for some of the Statements to further clarify their meaning. If you are curious about the commented version of the European Statements, have a look at it HERE.

 

 

[Spotlight]

 

EAHP Position Paper on Hospital Pharmacy Specialisation

Hospital pharmacists are the key stakeholders responsible for medication management and safety in the hospital environment, covering both in- and out-patient services and supporting the seamless transition of care for patients moving within the healthcare system. To provide the best treatment for all patients, hospital pharmacists must be able to operate in a complex hospital setting and work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary healthcare teams.

To prepare the hospital pharmacy profession for the future, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) adopted the European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy in 2014. They express commonly agreed objectives that every European health system should aim for in the delivery of hospital pharmacy services. To further enhance the quality, safety and equity of access to patient care in every European country, EAHP additionally created the Common Training Framework (CTF) project for hospital pharmacy education in Europe. This project not only fosters the further development of hospital pharmacy practice but also seeks to guarantee the access of European citizens to the highest available standard of care and the freedom of movement of the hospital pharmacy profession which is currently not accessible to all.

In June 2021, EAHP's General Assembly adopted a Position Paper on Hospital Pharmacy Specialisation. The position centres around advancing the profession by harmonising the recognition of hospital pharmacy education, enhancing the role of the hospital pharmacist and preparing the profession for future challenges.
To make a difference in medication by advancing the hospital pharmacy profession, EAHP

• calls on the European Commission and the Member States to assist the Association in setting up a CTF through the adoption of a delegated act;
• touches on the need for Member States to recognise the changing role of the hospital pharmacists and further foster their implementation; and,
• underlines the importance of further promoting the uptake of such cross-sector tools inter-sector communication, coordination and multi-disciplinary collaboration in all healthcare facilities should be strengthened.

To adequately address future challenges linked to the ageing society, changing healthcare needs and other unknown factors, like future pandemics, EAHP urges that Member States invest in better workforce planning for the hospital pharmacy profession, including the availability of hospital pharmacy services for all patients of each hospital.

Read EAHP's Position Paper on Hospital Pharmacy Specialisation HERE