8 February 2017

The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) has today published a draft version of a potential common training framework (CTF) for hospital pharmacy in Europe. The publication comes ahead of an online Delphi method consultation on its content that will commence on 27 February 2017. Individuals and associations interested in providing their viewpoint have until 20 February 2017 to register to participate.

The draft framework was developed over 18 months by a pan-European group of 16 hospital pharmacists, led by Dr Andreia Bruno of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society.

The working group developed the draft framework in 3 phases:

1. Consolidating information and understanding on the current status of hospital pharmacy education across Europe;
2. Review and analysis of the hospital pharmacist competencies provided by national programmes; and,
3. Proposing the core knowledge, skills and competencies that should form a draft common training framework for hospital pharmacy in Europe.

Background references for the proposed framework included the 44 European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy, the 2011 European Commission sponsored project Pharmine, as well as the curricula for a broad range of existing hospital pharmacy post graduate education programmes across Europe.

Speaking of the publication, Dr Andreia Bruno, chair of the Working Group that developed the draft framework, said:

"What our working group discovered was that, although structures for hospital pharmacy (formal and informal) across Europe may differ, the skills and competencies delivered at the end of the process are really quite similar. They all meet the same needs of leveraging the pharmacist's expertise and potential within the hospital setting, where acute conditions, rare diseases, complex and specialised medicinal therapies, clinical trials and many other particularities have a strong presence. The draft framework therefore offers a synthesis of practice realities across Europe based upon firm foundations such as the 2011 Pharmine project and existing hospital pharmacy curricula.

Now we are providing scrutiny opportunity to the wide variety of impacted stakeholders via a Delphi method consultation. I encourage every interested individual and stakeholder to sign up for the consultation before the 20 February deadline!".

A common training framework for hospital pharmacy will represent an agreement on the competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes required by the profession to deliver the 44 European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy.

More information about the common training framework project is available at http://www.hospitalpharmacy.eu/

ENDS

For further information contact info[at]eahp[dot]eu | 00 322 741 6835

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) is an association of national organisations across 35 countries representing hospital pharmacists at European and international levels. More information about the EAHP and its history HERE.

2. A common training framework for hospital pharmacy will represent an important international agreement on the competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes required by the profession to deliver on the 44 European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy. Thereafter, it is intended that the common training framework will be initially used as a flexible tool for hospital pharmacy development across Europe, fully reflecting national and regional realities. More information HERE.

3.  The consultation draft of the framework is available HERE.

4. A short video explaining the consultation is available HERE.

5. The portal for registering to participate in the online consultation is available HERE. The registration portal will close on Monday 20th February ahead of the start of the consultation on Monday 27th February.