EAHP statements survey 2016: sections 1, 3 and 4 of the European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy

Abstract

BackgroundThe 2016 European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) Statements survey builds on previous surveys and focuses on sections 1, 3 and 4.ObjectiveTo collect statistical data about the level of implementation of the Statements, and identify important barriers to their implementation.MethodsAn online questionnaire was sent to all hospital pharmacies in EAHP member countries. Data were analysed by researchers from Keele University School of Pharmacy, UK and the EAHP Survey Group. If an incomplete survey was submitted, the quantitative data were not used, although any free-text responses were incorporated.ResultsThe overall response rate was 16% (904 out of 5711 requests) with 730 complete responses. In the first part of the survey, data were collected on the hospital pharmacy setting. While almost half (n=335) of hospital pharmacies served over 500 beds, 77% (n=564) of hospital pharmacies had ≤10 pharmacists. In section B, evidence was gathered about the degree of implementation of sections 1, 3 and 4 of the Statements and the main barriers to, and drivers of, implementation. The questions related to production and compounding (section 3) received very positive responses (all questions from this section received at least a 70% positive response rate), indicating that responders are having less difficulty implementing these statements compared with others. The introductory statements and governance questions (section 1) received a more mixed response. Only 343 (47%) responses indicated that the pharmacists worked routinely as part of multidisciplinary team. Many of the questions relating to clinical pharmacy services (section 4) received a more negative response overall, with six questions receiving <50% positive responses.ConclusionsThis iteration of the survey provides the EAHP with further insight into the implementation of the Statements across the member countries as well as the barriers to, and drivers of, implementation in sections 1, 3 and 4. This is essential to inform the plans for EAHP to best support their implementation.

Clinical Pharmacy Activities in Swiss Hospitals: How Have They Evolved from 2013 to 2017?

“…Although the method of analyzing the state of implementation of the topics related to the EAHP statements was not identical to the survey conducted by the EAHP in 2016 [13], similar trends can be seen.…”

“…The spectrum of clinical pharmacy activities offered by Swiss hospitals is comparable to other European countries [13]. In German hospitals that offer clinical pharmacy services, 44 of 84 hospitals provide medication reconciliation at admission [14].…”

“…Swiss hospital pharmacists were notably less involved in the following four activities: "informing, educating and advising patients when medicines are used outside of their marketing authorization", "Medication reconciliation at admission", "transfer of information about medicines to promote seamless care" and "ensuring that patients are offered information about their medicines in terms they can understand". While the first three activities seemed to be more difficult for European hospital pharmacists to implement as well, the last activity mentioned seemed to be performed in half of European hospital pharmacies [13]. It can be argued that activities like the above-mentioned are more difficult to implement for pharmacists because they are traditionally conducted by physicians and nurses, whereas activities that are well acknowledged as pharmaceutical tasks, such as validation of prescriptions or assessing appropriateness of medication, are easier to implement.…”

“…Most Swiss hospitals providing clinical pharmacy services (80.6%) report having full access to the patients' health records in the hospital, and therefore comply with the above-mentioned statement. Fifty-nine percent of hospital pharmacists surveyed by EAHP gave a positive response to the question as to whether they had access to the patients' health record (positive response = a response of 3, 4 or 5 on a 5 point Likert scale; 1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) [13].…”

“…Additionally, using a standardized system to classify pharmaceutical interventions is also important and allows a statistical analysis of the compiled data. European hospital pharmacists had less difficulties implementing these statements, with 56% giving a positive response to documenting their interventions in the patients' health record [13].…”