EAHP: A 5 point plan for meeting the challenges of an ageing society

29 February 2016

Ahead of its annual Congress in Vienna, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) has today published a new policy statement highlighting the important role of hospital pharmacists in meeting the pan-European challenge of an ageing society.

Unanimously approved by delegates of EAHP's 34 member country associations, the statement identifies 5 main areas for policy attention:

  • Increasing the uptake of medication reconciliation and review by hospital pharmacists as a key response to polypharmacy;
  • Additional training for all relevant healthcare professionals in respect of the particular care needs of older patients;
  • Further embedding of inter-sector communication and multi-disciplinary working as critical approaches to meeting the health system challenges of an ageing society;
  • Regulatory innovation to improve the participation of older patients in clinical trials;
  • Improvement in best practice sharing and adoption across Europe to ensure the internal health system challenge of an ageing health workforce is successfully met.

Commenting on the statement, EAHP President Joan Peppard remarked:

"In the first instance, Europe's ageing society marks a great achievement by our health and social systems, that so many people are living longer and healthier lives. However we recognise the challenges that are emerging, and one of these is multimorbidity with the connected issue of polypharmacy.

It really must be emphasised to policy makers everywhere that there is a healthcare profession ready and equipped to assist. As the policy statement we publish today makes clear, the evidence in favour of hospital pharmacist led medicines reconciliation and review in reducing over-prescription and helping older patients manage their medicines is evident. However, as the results of EAHP's recently published surveys of practice make clear, there is work still be done to ensure patients get access to the clinical pharmacy services they deserve.

When health system managers think of the ageing society challenge, they should think multimorbidity, think polypharmacy, and think of the hospital pharmacist services that can be further leveraged with their support. Solutions exist, and one of them is called the hospital pharmacist."


ENDS

For further information contact info[at]eahp[dot]eu | 00 322 741 2436

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) is an association of national organisations across 34 countries representing hospital pharmacists at European and international levels. More information about the EAHP is available here.

2. The EAHP statement on an Ageing Society can be found here. The General Assembly of EAHP member associations passed the statement in June 2015. More information about EAHP members available here.

3. The latest results of EAHP's pan-European surveys of practice are available here.

4. The 21st Annual Congress of the EAHP takes place in Vienna, Austria from 16th-18th March 2016. More information here. Members of the press wishing to attend should contact sandra.teixeira[at]eahp[dot]eu

5. Requests for interviews with Joan Peppard can be made by contacting info[at]eahp[dot]eu 00 322 741 2436