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 [1]. [1]
Readers of the EAHP EU Monitor are reminded there is still time to register to participate in the online Delphi consultation on the content of a common training framework for hospital pharmacy. With the consultation commencing on 28 February, interested individuals and organisations are invited to register their interest today!
The registration portal is available HERE [2].
[2]More information about the common training framework project is available HERE [3].
**Readers of the EAHP EU Monitor with an interest in the Common Training Framework may also be interested in Keynote Speech 3 at the upcoming EAHP Congress in Cannes (22-24th March 2017). Entitled "In search of the value of automation", facilitator André Rieutord and presenters Patrick Von Oirschot and Etienne Cousein, will explore the costs and benefits of automation solutions, as well as the implementation challenges. More information HERE [4].
The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM) has opened a consultation on prospective European guidelines on Automated Dose Dispensing. The consultation will close on the 24th February 2017.
The purpose of the guidelines is to harmonise the standards and approaches to automated dose dispensing across Europe, to help ensure that this service is provided to a consistently high standard which ensures the safe supply of medicines to patients. The guidelines are intended to be utilised by pharmacies and manufacturers involved in automated dose dispensing, as well as by national authorities in countries where this service is provided.
The consultation survey is available HERE [5] [5].
The Draft Guidelines are available HERE [6].
Commenting on the consultation, Aida Batista, EAHP Director of Professional Development and Patient Safety policy lead, remarked: "Automatic Dose Dispensing can be a powerful tool for patient safety as well as medication adherence. However, there are common challenges to be met in respect to its introduction and use. Therefore, EDQM's initiative to produce guidelines to help ensure this service is provided to a consistently high standard across Europe, is to be welcomed. EAHP encourages engagement by hospital pharmacy in the EDQM project and will be making its own response to the survey".
**Readers of the EAHP EU Monitor with an interest in automation solutions may also be interested in Seminar LM3 at the upcoming EAHP Congress in Cannes (22-24th March 2017). Entitled "In search of the value of automation", facilitator Andre Rieutord and presenters Patrick Von Oirschot and Etienne Cousein, will explore the costs and benefits of automation solutions, as well as the implementation challenges. More information HERE [4].
The European Commission has published a study on big data in public health, telemedicine and healthcare which makes 10 headline policy recommendations in respect to improving the use of Big Data in healthcare delivery.
The study was conducted by Gesundheit Österreich Forschungs- und Planungs GmbH (GÖ FP) [7] and included a systematic literature review, after which the added value of selected examples of Big Data in Health were identified. The examined examples included considerations of the added value of:
The study authors recommend that their recommendations "be seen as suggestions for the European Union and its Member States on how to utilise the strengths and exploit the opportunities of Big Data for Public Health without threatening privacy or safety of citizens."
The 10 recommendations are:
More information is available HERE [8].
Commenting on the study, Rob Moss, EAHP Director of Professional Development with policy portfolio covering Big Data, remarked: "Big Data is already part of our present in healthcare delivery. In a world of near-universal smartphone use, and ever great capacity and opportunity for data collections, the potential future applications of big data in healthcare appear almost limitless. For these reasons, its right that hospital pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals, grow more familiar with big data utilisation. The recommendations within the Commission's Big Data study are therefore useful and necessary, especially where these concern healthcare professional education and awareness".
**Readers of the EAHP EU Monitor with an interest in Big may also be interested in Keynote Speech 2 at the upcoming EAHP Congress in Cannes (22-24th March 2017). Entitled "Big data: hype or help?", Dr Heyo Kroemer, will explore some of the principal Big Data tools, the range of opportunities these provide to healthcare professionals in the conduct of their roles, as well as some of the implementation challenges to be met. More information HERE [9].
A special themed edition of the European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy tackles the growing debate about deprescribing and is now available online.
Articles range from reviews by international experts on the current problems surrounding deprescribing, to a description of practical tools to support the process. The edition also seeks to broaden the discussion via articles on the patient view of deprescribing, a legal perspective, and the role of nurses working with patients, pharmacists and doctors to make deprescribing decisions collaboratively. In summary, the edition hopes to provide the reader with an accessible, practical overview of the emerging area of deprescribing.
More information HERE [10].
GS1 case study "Safe medication and patient safety are key concerns at Antonius Hospital"
A recent case study has been published by GS1 Healthcare exploring how the hospital pharmacy at St Antonius Hospital in the Netherlands went about achieving a major project in patient safety by registering the administration of medication by means of barcodes.
More information HERE [11].
Links
[1] http://www.eahp.eu/newsletter/subscribe
[2] http://www.hospitalpharmacy.eu/ctf-consultation/
[3] http://www.hospitalpharmacy.eu/
[4] http://www.eahp.eu/congresses/goals/seminar-lm3-search-value-automation
[5] https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LVVMP6C
[6] https://www.eahp.eu/sites/default/files/add_draft_guidelines_v16092_0.pdf
[7] http://www.goeg.at/de/Ueber-Uns.html
[8] http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_food-safety/dyna/enews/enews.cfm?al_id=1746
[9] http://www.eahp.eu/congresses/goals/keynote-2-big-data-hype-or-help-0
[10] http://ejhp.bmj.com/content/24/1/1.full
[11] http://www.gs1.org/healthcare/articles/2029/safe-medication-and-patient-safety-are-key-concerns-antonius-hospital