EU MONITOR - Contribute to EAHP’s Needs Assessment Survey!
The EAHP EU Monitor is a regular round up of news relevant to hospital pharmacy in Europe.
EAHP’s Needs Assessment Survey
Every year the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) seeks input from the hospital pharmacy community for its future congresses via the Needs Assessment Survey. Hospital pharmacists are encouraged to share their views. The Needs Assessment Survey is based on the 44 European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy which express commonly agreed objectives that every European health system should aim for in the delivery of hospital pharmacy services.
Access the survey HERE
Learn more about the European Statements HERE
EAHP’s ePI share your feedback by the 30th of April
Last month, EAHP launched its newest survey targeting hospital pharmacists analysing the use of (electronic) patient leaflets and the future potential of electronic product information (ePI). The survey seeks to collect information on both the use of printed package leaflets and the prevalence of the application of product information in a digital format. Also, the future use of ePI in European hospitals will be looked at. EAHP's ePI survey is available in English and 20 other European languages covering the majority of EAHP's membership. Please share your feedback by the 30th of April.
Access EAHP’s ePI survey HERE
Share your lessons learned from gain-sharing/benefit-sharing schemes for biologics
The University of Leuven (KU Leuven) has launched an academic (non-commercial) survey investigating the design and implementation characteristics of gain-sharing (benefit-sharing) programs established to support the cost-effective prescribing of biologics in various countries in Europe. In many cases hospital pharmacists are involved in the procurement of medicines, so they may have experience with such schemes in their institution, and we would like to hear from you.
Gainsharing Programs are incentive programs established through the collaboration of stakeholders in healthcare (e.g., payers like insurance companies and healthcare professionals or hospital management together with healthcare professionals) to support the use of the most cost-effective biologics and to generate cost savings. The achieved savings are redistributed to the stakeholders that participated in the program and can lead to improvements in the quality of care and patients’ access to treatments. However, little is known about how these programs are being implemented in clinical practice and what factors could be facilitating or impeding their implementation.
This project is part of an ongoing research program exploring the market environment of biologics and biosimilars following the loss of exclusivity (KU Leuven MABEL Fund) and it is supervised by Prof. Isabelle Huys, Prof. Steven Simoens and Prof. Arnold G. Vulto. It is the aim of the project to deliver a multi-stakeholder view on gain-sharing/benefit-sharing experiences for biologics and to generate evidence supporting the implementation of these programs in the future. This in turn might help hospital pharmacists to strengthen their role in leading the road to more cost-effective treatments in their hospital.
If you would like to share your experience and lessons learned and participate in the survey that the project coordinators have developed, please contact them through the following e-mail: teresa.barcina[at]kuleuven[dot]be Your contribution will remain confidential.
Learn more about the research programme HERE
Commission kicks-off the revision of the EU general pharmaceuticals legislation
As part of the EU Pharmaceuticals Strategy and drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission has started the process for the evaluation and revision of the EU’s general legislation on medicines for human use to ensure a future-proof and crisis-resistant medicines regulatory system. The inception impact assessment is open for comments until the 27th of April.
The revision general pharmaceutical legislation (namely Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation (EC) No 726/2004) will aim to ensure access to affordable medicines, foster innovation, including in areas of unmet medical need, improve the security of supply and adapt to new scientific and technological developments and reduce red tape.
Access the consultation HERE
Access the infographic HERE
EJHP: Using risk analysis to anticipate and mitigate failures during a hospital pharmacy relocation
The original research published in the online edition of the European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (EJHP) carries out a failure modes, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) before hospital relocation in order to anticipate any failure modes likely to affect the pharmacy’s missions or patient safety during the move. The FMECA was performed by a multidisciplinary team (pharmacists and logisticians) which analysed the complete upcoming process of relocating the pharmacy and its implication. In conclusion, the authors highlighted the relevance of using an FMECA-type evaluation to anticipate the impact of a hospital pharmacy relocation. This tool enabled pharmacy professionals to structure their potential relocation problems and reflect on mitigation measures in order to provide concerted, realistically applicable solutions before the move.
Read the article HERE
[COVID-19 Updates]
EAHP’s COVID-19 Resource Centre
To assist its member associations and individual hospital pharmacists in this critical time with the provision of the best possible care for patients, EAHP has decided to gather and make available information on COVID-19 relevant for the hospital pharmacy profession.
Access the Resource Centre HERE
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use | Bulletin - COVID-19: Information for Opioid Agonist Treatment Prescribers and Pharmacists
This bulletin presents guidance and considerations for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) prescribers and pharmacists in British Columbia to ensure patients can access needed medications while reducing COVID-19 related risks, during this extraordinary period of dual public health emergencies.
Access the document HERE
European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy - Managing the risk of shortages and medication errors with curares during the COVID-19 pandemic: a hospital pharmacy experience
The research aims to assess the use of curares during the COVID-19 crisis and to highlight the lessons to be learnt from this overuse.
Read the article HERE
Farmacia Hospitalaria - How COVID-19 has impacted the role of pharmacists around the world
The article describes how pharmacy has stepped up during the COVID-19 crisis by giving examples from several countries.
Read the article HERE
PAN-COVID: Pregnancy and Neonatal Registry
The registry collected pregnancy and neonatal outcomes for women with COVID-19 from healthcare professional. It is centre-based and aims to offer a continuously updated collection of clinical experience of COVID in pregnancy and the neonates from around the world.
Access the registry HERE
EAHP’s Evidence Map
Did you know that EAHP’s Statement website has an evidence map which helps hospital pharmacists to identify case studies, Statement Implementation Collaborative Learning Centres (SILCCs) and Good Practice Initiatives (GPIs). The information contained in the case studies and GIPs or obtained via a SILCC fellowship could be replicated in one’s own hospital. Check here the evidence map.
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Consultations
EDQM – Pharmeuropa PaedForm, Issue 3
The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) released Issue 3 of Pharmeuropa PaedForm, in which the draft text for Phosphate 60 mg/mL Oral Solution is published for public consultation prior to its inclusion in the European Paediatric Formulary. This is the fourth monograph elaborated by the PaedForm Working Party.
Deadline – 31st March 2021
Find more information HERE
European Commission – Public Consultation on Blood, tissues and cells for medical treatments & therapies
This consultation concerns an initiative for an improved EU legal framework for the safety and quality of blood, tissues and cells used in transfusion, transplantation and medically assisted reproduction. These are healthcare services that impact on the lives of millions of EU citizens, both as donors of essential substances or patients that need treatment with those substances. For this reason, this public consultation is collecting the views of all interested citizens and organisations.
Deadline – 15th April 2021
Access the consultation HERE
European Commission – Public Consultation: European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for coordinated EU level action to respond to health emergencies. It revealed gaps in foresight, including demand/supply dimensions, preparedness and response tools. A European HERA is a central element for strengthening the European Health Union with better EU preparedness and response to serious cross-border health threats, by enabling rapid availability, access and distribution of needed countermeasures. Through the public consultation you can express your views on HERA before the Commission finalises its proposal.
Deadline – 12th May 2021
Access the consultation HERE
