EU Monitor submit your feedback on medicines shortages by 13th January!
The EAHP EU Monitor is a regular round up of news relevant to hospital pharmacy in Europe.
You can subscribe to receive the EAHP EU Monitor by email HERE.
Less than 1 week left to contribute to EAHP’s 2019 Medicines Shortages Survey
In November 2019, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) launched its latest edition of the Medicines Shortages Survey. The questionnaire seeks to investigate the reasons and impact of medicines shortages on patients in European hospitals as well as possible solutions. Responses can be submitted until 13th January 2020 by hospital pharmacists, other healthcare professionals working in the hospital environment and patients that have experienced medicines shortages.
To ensure participation by as many healthcare professionals and patients as possible, EAHP has made available 10 different language versions of the survey. They can be accessed via the following links:
Access the Bosnian/Croatian version HERE
Access the English version HERE
Access the French version HERE
Access the Greek version HERE
Access the Italian version HERE
Access the Portuguese version HERE
Access the Romanian version HERE
Access the Serbian version HERE
Access the Slovak version HERE
Access the Spanish version HERE
The Association has been advocating on the topic of medicines shortages for over 10 years. Information shared with the European institutions and other healthcare professionals on the prevalence of medicines shortages in Europe was based on findings of surveys conducted previously by EAHP. The most recent investigation showed for example that medicines shortages in European hospitals increased between 2014 and 2018. This development is extremely concerning for EAHP, especially since medicines shortages significantly affect the quality and safety of patient care.
Learn more about EAHP’s work in the field of medicines shortages HERE
New EAHP Open Learning course on Management & Leadership
EAHP has added a course on Management & Leadership to its open learning environment. The course can be accessed by all healthcare professionals interested in learning more about the concepts of management and leadership, in particular the difference between them and how these concepts can be applied in different situations.
The new open learning course conveys the relevant points on management and leadership through a series of presentations and workshops that draw from the expertise of both delegates and facilitators. It explores themes related to strategic planning, efficiency, team building, processes mapping and problem solving. Also human factors, such as vision and buy-in, change management, motivating people and managing resistance are touched upon. Course participants will be introduced and enabled to explore a variety of useful tools including drawing from lean six sigma aids such as value stream mapping, Obeya and Kanban boards.
In addition to the course on Management & Leadership, EAHP’s open learning environment contains nine different modules, covering for example biosimilar medicines, anticoagulants, medicines shortages and therapeutic drug monitoring. EAHP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Participants of the open learning courses will be entitled to 1.5 to 5.6 ACPE credits, depending on the length of the course. These credits can be obtained after the completion of the course and a short survey.
Access the open learning course HERE
EDQM makes available European Paediatric Formulary
In mid-December 2019, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) of the Council of Europe opened a free of charge access to the European Paediatric Formulary on a dedicated online platform. This formulary brings together for the first time, formulations of appropriate quality from all around Europe to allow pharmacists and clinicians to prepare paediatric treatments when no licensed alternative is available.
The project was launched by the European Committee on Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Care (CD-P-PH) and the European Pharmacopoeia Commission. It was carried out by dedicated experts that came together within the PaedForm Working Party and has made available general texts introducing the formulary and stating its general principles, and two monographs, Hydrochlorothiazide 0.5 mg/mL oral solution and Sotalol hydrochloride 20 mg/mL oral solution.
Information contained in the European Paediatric Formulary will be expanded in the future. Plans already exist to add monographs on azathioprine oral suspension, chloral hydrate oral solution, furosemide oral solution, isoniazid oral solution, omeprazole oral suspension and phosphate oral solution, as well as a monograph on an oral vehicle. Draft monographs for public consultation and final texts will both be made available on the dedicated website of the European Paediatric Formulary.
Access the European Paediatric Formulary HERE
Croatia takes over EU Presidency for the first half of 2020
On 1st January, for the first time since acceding to the European Union (EU), Croatia took over the presidency of the Council of the EU. The focus of the presidency lies at developing, connecting, protecting and influencing in line with the motto: "A strong Europe in a world of challenges". In the field of health emphasis will be put on promoting lifelong healthcare.
In line with its presidency priorities, Croatia plans to explore the possibilities of closer and improved cooperation among Member States in the field of organ donation and transplantation. Discussions on lifelong healthcare will take into account the sustainable development goals and the ageing population. In addition, the presidency will seek to continue working on an agreement on a Regulation on health technology assessment.
Learn more about Croatia’s plans for the Presidency HERE
EJHP: January issue available
The first issue of the new decade of the European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (EJHP) has been released. The January 2020 issue contains a number of interesting original articles including those touching on pharmacy technicians’ and doctors’ medication transcribing errors at hospital discharge, antifungal stewardship programmes and the economic burden of metastatic breast cancer in Spain. The systematic review focuses on incidence and prevalence of intravenous medication errors in the UK, while the editorial looks at medicinal use of cannabis and cannabinoids.
Read the January issue HERE
Prepare your hospital pharmacy for the future by taking your SAT!
To help you with the implementation of the European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy, EAHP has developed a self-assessment tool (SAT). By answering the questions included in the SAT, hospital pharmacists can assess their level of Statement compliance. To facilitate the uptake 13 different language versions (Czech, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish and Turkish) have been made available. In case your hospital has not taken the SAT yet, make sure to engage with your colleagues to complete your SAT. More information about the tool is available on the SAT website.
Consultations
EDQM – Public consultation for revised dosage form monographs and general chapters
The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Commission is undertaking a review of five different texts. These include the general monograph for eye preparations (1163), the new general chapter “Particulate contamination: sub-visible particles in non-injectable liquid preparations (2.9.53)”, the text on uniformity and accuracy of delivered doses from multidose containers (2.9.27) and the ones on ear preparations (0652) as well as liquid preparations for cutaneous application (0927).
Deadline – 31st December 2019
Further information available HERE
