Investigation of the hospital pharmacy profession in Europe

From 1995, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) has regularly investigated the progress of the hospital pharmacy profession in Europe, and identified key barriers and drivers of this. The most recent 'Investigation of the Hospital Pharmacy Profession in Europe' was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023.

The online questionnaire was sent to all hospital pharmacies in EAHP member countries. The investigation was drafted using the same questions as the 2015 baseline survey. Where possible and relevant, responses were compared with the data from previous surveys that monitored the implementation of the EAHP statements. Keele University, Centre for Medicines Optimisation, School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, UK analysed the data.

The overall number of responses was 653, with a better response rate of 19% compared with 14% in 2018 statements survey. The findings indicated that participating hospital pharmacies have similar characteristics to previous surveys. Section 1 (Introductory statements and governance), section 2 (Selection, procurement and distribution), section 3 (Production and compounding), section 5 (Patient safety and quality assurance) questions were generally answered positively, with results ranging from 52% to 90%. However, results for section 4 (Clinical pharmacy services) returned lower levels of positivity, with responses from 8 of the 15 questions being less than 60%. When asked what is preventing hospital pharmacists from achieving implementation of these activities, most answers were limited capacity, not considered to be a priority by managers, or other healthcare professionals do this. The last section focused on self-assessment and action planning, with fewer than 50% of positive responses; COVID-19 preparedness and vaccines with mixed positive and negative responses. Furthermore, implementation of the falsified medicines directive impacted the medication handling processes in 50% or more of the answers. Regarding sustainability, the majority (59%) of respondents felt a greater focus should be on sustainability from an organisational or management perspective.

Results offer valuable insights into the hospital pharmacy profession throughout Europe. While there have been improvements in certain areas, challenges remain, particularly in implementing clinical pharmacy services. The findings provide a foundation for further dialogue, advocacy, and strategic planning to advance the role of hospital pharmacists and enhance patient care in Europe's healthcare systems.