Richard Price

Hospital pharmacists to have their say on improving clinical trial regulation

The European Clinical Trial Directive (2011/20) is currently under review. EAHP has taken position (see reference 4 and also EAHP news on the General Assembly 2012) and hospital pharmacists can make their views known via EAHP and influence change.

EAHP EU News

The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) produces a weekly email of the top European policy developments and other news of interest to hospital pharmacists called the EU Monitor. EAHP Policy and Advocacy Officer, Richard Price, presents some recent highlights.nn### EU Action Plan on the health xadworkforcenn#### EAHP EU Monitor, 27 April 2012nnThe European Commission has recently published an Action Plan for the EU Health Workforce to help EU member states address the challenges faced by the healthcare sector. The Plan was published as part of a Commission communication for ‘a job rich recovery in Europe’.nnThe Action Pan lists four areas of focus where the Commission will provide support to member states.nn▸Improving health workforce planning and forecasting in the EU, with the Commission looking to create a European platform to share good practice, develop forecasting methodologies on health workforce needs and effective planning, and improve EU-wide data on the health workforce.nn▸Better anticipating the skill needs in the healthcare sector—by supporting the creation of a European Skills Council on nursing and care workers to better analyse and anticipate skill needs in these professions, fostering partnerships between vocational training providers and employers through the work of a Sector Skills Alliance, promoting the exchange of continuous professional development, and developing recommendations for the training requirements of healthcare assistants.nn▸Stimulating exchange on …

Record numbers attend EAHP Congress 2012 in Milan

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) recently recorded the highest number of attendees at its annual Congress so far. In total, 3700 conference participants registered and attended over the 3-day event in Milan between 21 and 23 March, listening to keynote speeches, taking part in seminars, and enjoying associated sponsor events.nnThe theme of the Congress was ‘Special patient groups—hospital pharmacists creating standards for care’ with the three keynote speakers addressing the topics of: limits of treatment; the management of risk and life safety; and drug safety in geriatric patients.nnOn Wednesday 21 March, Professor Umberto Veronesi, the internationally recognised Italian surgeon and oncologist, opened the Congress with an address on the modern advances being made in many areas of treatment, such as stem cell research, the move towards multidisciplinary models of health provision, and nanotechnology. He then outlined some of the many potential future roles of pharmacists in palliative care, pain management and the use of opiods, clinical trials and clinical decision-making.nnOn Thursday 22 March Professor Michael Faber of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich gave a …

What are the ingredients for prize-winning innovation in hospital pharmacy?

European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) Policy and Advocacy Officer Richard Price pays a visit to Erasmus Hospital Pharmacy in Rotterdam to learn more about how the hospital pharmacy team there achieved national recognition for innovation in secondary/tertiary care.nnAt the kind invitation of the Editor of European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy , Arnold Vulto, I arrive at Erasmus Hospital to conduct interviews and have discussions with some of the leading staff in the pharmacy responsible for its recent Dutch national award for innovation in pharmaceutical care.nnThe innovation prize was given to Dr Nicole Hunfeld on behalf of Erasmus Hospital by the Royal Dutch Pharmaceutical Society for successful implementation of medication review with intensive care patients by the hospital pharmacist. A team of four hospital pharmacists was deployed to the intensive care unit (ICU) to use their unique skills and knowledge in medicines to conduct a review and reconciliation, and to check on medication errors.nnWithin a 3-month period, the pharmacists advice on dose or medication change were enacted on …