EAHP meet European Commission to discuss hospital pharmacy specialisation

On Wednesday 22 February Dr Roberto Frontini, President of the EAHP, accompanied by Policy Officer Richard Price, met with senior officials at the European Commission to discuss the future possibilities for recognition of hospital pharmacy specialisation. 

EAHP presented a paper to the Internal Market and Services Directorate General (DG MARKT), which is leading a review of the Professional Qualifications Directive, exploring the feasibility of a new mechanism called a Common Training Requirement, being applied to specialisms in the sectoral professions. 

This would enable a minimum of 9 member states to collaborate in the construction of a framework for recognizing common qualifications. EAHP consider this has the potential to greatly increase the mobility of hospital pharmacists with specialized qualifications in the future. 

However, the Commission do not currently intend that the proposed Common Training Requirement will apply to the 7 “automatically recognized professions” (medical doctors, veterinarians, dentists, architects, nurses, midwives and pharmacists).

A useful exchange of views took place at the meeting and a greater understanding of each other’s positions was achieved. There is still much deliberations to be held on the proposed reform of the Professional Qualifications Directive, with Member State Governments beginning their examination of the Commission’s December 2011 proposals in the coming weeks, and the European Parliament commencing its formal discussions on 28 February. 

EAHP will continue to make the case for new mechanisms to be created to enable hospital pharmacy specialization to be recognized across borders and will present its proposals to MEPs and others for consideration over the coming months.

Source

EAHP

112 day: 74 % of Europeans don't know what emergency number to call when travelling in the EU

Whether for skiing holidays, family days out, business travel or visits to this summer's sporting events, including the London Olympics or Euro 2012 UEFA football in Poland and Ukraine, millions of Europeans and visitors need access to emergency services in and outside their home country. Yet only 34% of regular travellers and 26% of all Europeans know that 112 is the single emergency number they can call, both in and outside their home country when in trouble. 
 

Many major rail, air and other transport companies have joined Vice Presidents Neelie Kroes and Siim Kallas in a campaign to raise 112 awareness rates. The emergency number will be publicised without cost to taxpayers on e-tickets, in on-board magazines, on their company websites and through their staff. The list of participating companies can be consulted on www.112.eu. 

Vice Presidents Kroes and Kallas have decided to work together to ensure every European can access a 112 smartphone app, in their own language. In recent years many 112 mobile apps have been developed, but much more can be done in this field. 

Vice President Neelie Kroes said "You can save a life by knowing and dialing 112. But 112 only helps if people know about it. So we are working with travel companies to catch attention while people are en route to their destination."

Vice President Siim Kallas said "I welcome the commitment of the transport sector in Europe to make every traveller aware of the 112 emergency number. 112 is an essential safety tool in transport. The list of participating companies will be open all year long and judging from the interest shown, many more companies are likely to follow." 

 

Background

112 is the European emergency number, reachable from fixed and mobile phones, free of charge, everywhere in the EU. 112 links the caller to the relevant emergency service (local police, fire brigade or medical services) and is available 24-hours a day. 112 is now operational in all EU member states alongside existing national emergency numbers (like 999 or 110). Denmark, Finland, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Sweden, and have decided to make 112 their sole or main national emergency number. 112 is also being used in countries outside the EU, such as in Croatia, Montenegro and Turkey. Ukraine has also committed to introduce this number in the cities which will host Euro 2012 football matches (Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kiev and Lviv) by the beginning of the sports event.

The Eurobarometer survey published today shows that Europeans' awareness of the availability of 112 in their country and in other EU Member States is stagnating. To address this issue, Vice-Presidents Kallas and Kroes wrote to the main transport companies on 27 January 2012 calling on them to inform their passengers about the 112 emergency number. This initiative builds on a similar campaign successfully launched by former MEP Diana Wallis last year. It is also supported by the 112 European Foundation.

Mobile phone applications – apps – are computer software developed for mobile phones that help users complete a task. They can be pre-installed on phones by manufacturers and are available for purchase and download through "app stores".

A report on how each Member State is implementing 112 (also issued today) gives a snapshot of the different languages to which 112 call centres can respond

• English can be used in 25 countries (besides UK, Ireland and Malta): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden, as well as Croatia, Iceland and Norway.
• 14 countries (besides Belgium, France and Luxembourg) can deal with calls in French: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
• German can be used in 112 calls in 12 countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Romania (in addition to Austria, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg)
• Italian speakers can also make 112 calls in their native language in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.
• Russian speakers can get help over 112 in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
• In the UK, emergency call centres can rely on interpretation services covering 170 languages, while in France a similar service can deal with 40 languages;

Useful links

112 website (available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish): www.112.eu

Transport companies and organisations participating in the 112 promotion campaign

How 112 works in my country:

Kids' corner (available in all 23 official EU languages):

Full report and summary of Eurobarometer "The European Emergency Number 112" and

COCOM report and annex on the implementation of 112:

Digital Agenda website

Neelie Kroes' website

Follow Neelie Kroes on Twitter

World Cancer Day 2012: EAHP and ESOP issue joint call for pharmacist development to advance cancer care

Press release: WORLD CANCER DAY 2012

On the eve of World Cancer Day the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) issued a joint call for hospital pharmacist development in order to further advance cancer patient care and outcomes.

Press RELEASE

Brussels, 3 February 2012

Release: Immediate

WORLD CANCER DAY 2012: EAHP AND ESOP ISSUE JOINT CALL FOR PHARMACIST DEVELOPMENT TO ADVANCE CANCER CARE

On the eve of World Cancer Day the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) issued a joint call for hospital pharmacist development in order to further advance cancer patient care and outcomes.

Pharmacists play a key part in cancer care in such roles as medical oncology, haematology, palliative care and chemotherapy preparation services. Appropriately trained and competent pharmacists are responsible for accurate preparation, dispensing and clinical verification of patients’ chemotherapy, targeted therapy and supportive medication orders. 

However both EAHP and ESOP are ambitious to see further development of the pharmacist’s role in cancer treatment and see unrealised opportunities at the European and national level for increasing the input of pharmacist expertise to treatment decisions and the patient experience. The two organisations have therefore issued a short 5 point summary of recommendations to national and international health policy makers:

1. Recognise the need to encourage the role of the pharmacist in multiprofessional cancer care teams. This helps to ensure flexibility of service, best use of workforce skills and best outcomes for patients;

2. Promote the concept of having a lead oncology pharmacist in cancer centres to manage and organise pharmaceutical care;

3. Develop and implement clear Standards in the management and assessment of chemotherapy treatment and the quality of oncology clinical pharmacy service provision;

4. Appreciate the specialised nature of hospital pharmacy, and the hospital pharmacist’s particular expertise in working with specialised and novel medications; and,

5. Support high standards in hospital pharmacy service through the development of accredited and certified hospital pharmacy qualifications, including oncology

Dr Roberto Frontini, President of the EAHP said: “Every one of us is affected by cancer and all of us will know someone taken by this prevalent class of disease. We all therefore have a direct stake in seeing continuous improvement of cancer care across Europe. Central to achieving that is advancing the role of the hospital pharmacist in the treatment pathway. EAHP and ESOP’s 5 point plan provides a framework that we urge health policy makers to give thought to on World Cancer Day as they consider how to improve cancer care in their jurisdiction.” 

Klaus Meier, President of ESOP said: “Improving the standard of cancer care in Europe requires close collaboration across professions, health systems and countries. ESOP and EAHP are working together to raise educational and service standards in hospital and oncology pharmacy across all our member countries. However, to achieve this in full we need the support of health policy planners at all levels. We hope this 5 point plan can form a basis for securing greater levels of practical support.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Richard Price, EAHP Policy and Advocacy Officer

Tel.: +32 (0)2/741.68.35 Email: po@eahp.eu

Notes to Editors:

1. The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) is a working community of national associations of hospital pharmacists. Its membership includes representatives of national hospital pharmacy associations in almost all the European Union (EU) member states, in addition to Switzerland, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia (FYROM) and Bosnia Herzegovina . Membership is increasing each year and, at present, EAHP represents the interest of over 21,000 hospital pharmacists in 31 countries all over Europe. www.eahp.eu



2. The European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) is constituted of 31 member countries and has 2,600 members. The Society’s primary aim is to support the optimal treatment for cancer patients. It does this by developing and promoting clinical and oncology pharmacy practice and making information on knowledge and achievements in cancer treatment and activities available to the public. In this area it has, for example, developed the quality standard of oncology service pharmacy (QuapoS). www.esop.eu



3. World Cancer Day is marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. It is led by the Union for International Cancer Control, a global consortium of more than 470 cancer-fighting organisations in over 120 countries. www.worldcancerday.org



4. The 17th Annual Congress of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists will be held in Milan 21-23 March.



More information here http://www.eahp.eu/Congresses/2012-Congress-Milan-Italy



5. The first scientific conference of ESOP, together with the European CanCer Organisation (ECCO), the European Conference of Oncology Pharmacy (ECOP), will be held in Budapest September 27th to 29th 2012.



More information here: http://www.ecco-org.eu/Conferences/Conferences/ECOP-2012/~/media/ECCO%20documents/ECCO%20sections/Congresses%20and%20Conferences/ECOP%202012/LR_110155_ECOP2012_progr_overview_V02.ashx

Source

http://www.eahp.eu/News/Our-News/Press-release-WORLD-CANCER-DAY-2012