Delegates from the 35 member countries of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) came together on the 11^th and the 12^th of June for their 51^st General Assembly. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic also this gathering had to be organised fully virtual. 

During the General Assembly, delegates received updates on EAHP’s educational activities, the core projects of the Association and current policy developments. Discussions centred around the implementation of the 44 European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy, the Common Training Framework for hospital pharmacy specialisation, access to medicines and the growing problem of medicines shortages, in particular those linked to immunoglobulins that are increasingly impacting patient care.

At the end of the General Assembly, András Süle was welcomed as EAHP’s new President. For the next three years, he will be steering the Association. Dr András Süle is currently the Chief Pharmacist at Péterfy Hospital and Trauma Center as well as the Chief Pharmacy Advisor at Duna Medical Center, both located in Hungary. He is a guest lecturer and lead developer of the Hospital Pharmacy Specialisation programme at Semmelweis University in Budapest. In 2008, he obtained a PhD from Semmelweis University and has since gone on to complete a PharmD Specialisation in Pharmaceutical Technology and a PharmD Specialisation in Clinical Pharmacy. 

Reflecting on the goals for this 3-year presidency, Dr András Süle outlined the following: “I feel very honoured to take over EAHP’s primary leadership role from Petr Horák and his predecessors who have done a great job in improving patient care and advancing the hospital pharmacy profession in the almost 50 years that our Association now exists. I will have some very big shoes to fill, especially since I am taking over as EAHP’s President during a global pandemic. However, knowing our profession has gone above and beyond during this unprecedented time, I also feel confident that I will be able to build on this experience and to use the momentum created by the COVID-19 pandemic to improve patient safety through the delivery of pharmacy services. In the coming years, I plan to foster partnerships with other fellow pharmacy organisations at European level, to support our members in the endeavour of capitalising on opportunities linked to their changing roles in a changing world and to continue to drive forward EAHP’s flagship projects linked to the creation of a Common Training Framework for the profession and the European-wide implementation of the Statements of Hospital Pharmacy. I thank again all of EAHP’s member associations for placing their confidence in me and I look forward to delivering our shared vision together with my colleagues on the Board.”

EAHP President András Süle and Director of Professional Development Tjalling van der Schors were joined by 8 newly appointed Board members, several of them re-elected. Together with Aida Batista (Portugal) as Vice President, Nenad Miljković (Serbia) as Director of Finance and the 6 Directors of Professional Development Louis Bertin (France), Darija Kuruc Poje (Croatia), Ana Lozano (Spain), Despoina Makridaki (Greece), Claudia Plesan (Romania) and Piera Polidori (Italy) they will be shaping the work of EAHP. Petr Horák will continue to advise his colleagues until June 2022 as Immediate Past President.  

To further boost EAHP’s policy activity, the General Assembly adopted two new position papers touching on the enabler and barriers linked to the access of medicines for patients and the hospital pharmacy specialisation. In line with the new Statutes approved in 2020, EAHP also welcomed its first Associate Member the Egyptian Foundation of Clinical Pharmacy (EFCP).