EAHP and EPSA begin new period of collaboration 

The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the European Pharmaceutical Students Association (EPSA) this week commenced a new collaboration with a full time EPSA intern joining the EAHP office.

David Preece will work with EAHP assisting in both advocacy on behalf of hospital pharmacists, and in preparing EAHP’s next flagship Congress, taking place in Paris from 13th to 15th March 2013.

David joins from the Pilgrim Hospital in Lincolnshire, England, where he worked as a rotational clinical pharmacist in such areas as elderly care, cardiology and aseptic services. David studied pharmacy at the University of Reading and has been active in the British Pharmaceutical Students Association (BPSA) in the role of Education Development Officer. More recently David has been working for EPSA as Educational Affairs Co-ordinator.

Speaking about taking up the position, David said:

“As the first EPSA intern within the EAHP, it is a great pleasure to be strengthening the working relationship between the two organisations in this way. I have a strong personal interest in the future role of the hospital pharmacist and hope this internship will enable me to learn more about hospital pharmacy practise across Europe, to develop a greater understanding of the way pharmacy is governed at an EU level and more about the EAHP as an organisation. I would like to thank colleagues at both EPSA and EAHP for making this opportunity possible.”

EAHP Chief Operating Officer Jennie de Greef said:

“We are delighted to have David joining the office, particularly as we commence busy preparations for what we hope will be another ground-breaking EAHP Congress in 2013. We have always valued our relationship with pharmacy students and as an organisation firmly focused on building the hospital pharmacy profession of the future it is a pleasure to have with us a young and enthusiastic hospital pharmacist who will be a part of that future. Both EPSA and EAHP look forward to the growth of this and other projects of collaboration.”

European Medicines Agency consults on an inventory of needs for children's medicines (cardiovascular)

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is consulting stakeholders on its inventory of needs for paediatric medicines which is also designed as an information source to assist healthcare professionals in decisions about medicines.

The inventory has been prepared by the EMA’s Paediatric Committee (PDCO) and aims to:
• assist companies in identifying opportunities for business development;
• enable the PDCO to judge the need for medicines and studies when assessing draft paediatric investigation plans, waivers and deferrals;
• provide healthcare professionals and patients with an information source to support decisions about medicines.

The inventory is based on a report on the survey of all paediatric uses of medicinal products in Europe completed by the PDCO in December 2010. This survey is available here.

The first list released by EMA for consultation includes all cardiovascular medicines for use in children. The Agency will be releasing similar lists for other therapeutic areas for public consultation during 2012 and 2013.

The consultation document is here. Hospital pharmacists with an interest in this area of medicine can respond until the 30th October.
 

Barroso gives State of the European Union Address

In his annual speech on the State of the Union this week, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso called for the European Union to develop more fully into a federation of nation states.

Reflecting on the current economic crisis and the response the European Union should take to it, Mr Barroso said: “Globalisation demands more European unity. More unity demands more integration.”

He went on to call for a “Decisive Deal” to maintain the integrity of the European Union and show the irreversibility of the euro. The Deal would require “the completion of a deep and genuine economic union, based on a political union."

Other aspects of his speech dealt with the rising political issue of youth unemployment. He announced that before the end of 2012 the European Commission will launch a “Youth Package” with the aim of further facilitating vocational training in Member States.

On restoring confidence in the Euro, Commission President Barroso laid out proposals for deeper economic union and the move towards full fiscal union.

He also spelled out his hopes for greater “europeanisation” of the European Parliament elections, warning that "We cannot continue trying to solve European problems with national solutions." He hoped the 2014 European Elections could be improved in this regard by the European Parliament’s political parties making clear at the elections their candidate for the post of Commission President.

The speech has been seen as a rebuff to a perceived growth in eurosceptic political expression in a number of European countries. More detail here: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/president/news/archives/2012/09/20120912_1_en.htm
 

EJHP: Estimating the requirement for manipulation of medicines to provide accurate doses for children

An article was published on the EJHP website this week on estimating the requirement for manipulation of medicines to provide accurate doses for children.

The UK study aimed to address the lack of information about the extent of manipulation in paediatric practice and aimed to estimate the type and frequency of manipulations and the drugs involved in a regional children's hospital (RCH), a regional neonatal intensive care unit (RNICU) and in paediatric and neonatal wards of a district general hospital (DGH)
 

The methods used, discussion points and main conclusions are all available on the online EJHP here: http://ejhp.bmj.com/content/early/2012/09/11/ejhpharm-2012-000133.full