EAHP’s General Assembly adopts new position paper on hospital pharmacy specialisation
In mid-June, the members of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) came together for their annual General Assembly. Like every year, EAHP’s 35 member associations discussed and approved new position papers developed for the profession. This year’s exchanges at the General Assembly focused on two topics important for patient care, namely access to medicines and the hospital pharmacy specialisation.
Hospital pharmacists are the key stakeholders responsible for medication management and safety in the hospital environment, covering both in- and out-patient services and supporting the seamless transition of care for patients moving within the healthcare system. Hospital pharmacy specialisation is important to provide the best treatment for all patients since it ensures that hospital pharmacists are prepared and able to operate in a complex hospital setting and work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary healthcare teams. The position centres around advancing the profession by harmonising the recognition of hospital pharmacy education, enhancing the role of the hospital pharmacist and preparing the profession for future challenges. To make a difference in medication by advancing the hospital pharmacy profession, EAHP
calls on the European Commission and the Member States to assist the Association in setting up a CTF through the adoption of a delegated act;
touches on the need for Member States to recognise the changing role of the hospital pharmacists and further foster their implementation; and,
underlines the importance to further promote the uptake of such cross-sector tools inter-sector communication, coordination and multi-disciplinary collaboration in all healthcare facilities should be strengthened.
To adequately address future challenges linked to the ageing society, changing healthcare needs and other unknown factors, like future pandemics, EAHP also urges that Member States invest in better workforce planning for the hospital pharmacy profession, including the availability of hospital pharmacy services for all patients of each hospital.