EAHP European Statements baseline survey 2015: results.

Objectives: The European Statements baseline survey was designed to give an insight to how well the European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy (the Statements) are being implemented and to help inform the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) implementation strategy for the Statements.

Methods: The online questionnaire was sent to all hospital pharmacies in EAHP member countries. More than 1000 pharmacists completed the survey, which was analysed by Keele University and presented to EAHP.

Results: The survey provided general data for each country about the staffing levels and skill mix within each hospital, how well each hospital was implementing each Statement and finally about what were the barriers to implementation for European hospital pharmacists. The survey identified that, generally, the sections covering more traditional roles of hospital pharmacists (procurement, compounding) were being well implemented-96% of respondents indicated that their hospitals had clear processes in place around the procurement of medicines; 91% indicated "When medicines require manufacture or compounding, we either produce them in our hospital pharmacy or we outsource to an approved provider". Compared with that, clinical pharmacy services, multidisciplinary approaches and active engagement in education and practice research activities are challenging areas in most EAHP member countries. In only 29% of hospitals, the pharmacists enter all medicines used onto the patient's medical record on admission. 49% of responders agreed that the pharmacists in their hospital routinely publish hospital pharmacy practice research. Insufficient capacity and capability in terms of staffing and resources seemed to be main reasons given for low implementation of some of the Statements.

Conclusions: After analysis of data from more than 1000 questionnaires, EAHP gained a necessary overview of Statements implementation level and barriers to implementation, needed for informed and efficient progress of EAHP implementation projects.