Author: Edwin van Aalten

Young ESCP invites you to join the 2025 Online Career Event

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

On 25 February, YESCP will organize an online career event about the different career paths in Clinical Pharmacy.

The program will be as follows:

  • Clinical Pharmacy in Hospital to Corporate Job Switch, by Mina Kovačevič, Ms. Clinical Pharmacy
  • Clinical Pharmacy in Ambulatory Care, by Bergdís Elsa Hjaltadóttir, Ms. Clinical Pharmacy
  • Clinical Pharmacy in Academia, by Dr. Éva Takács

This webinar is free for all who are interested, but mainly focused on young clinical pharmacists, member or non-member of ESCP.

To book your ticket for this event, follow this link.

In memoriam: Ruud Dessing

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

It is with great sadness that we have received the notification that Ruud Dessing, ESCP President 1994-1996, passed away at the age of 78. He was suffering from lung fibrosis. 

Ruud Dessing was involved in ESCP form the beginning, in the seventies. He stood at the basis of pharmaceutical patient care, and was always active in ethics and philosophy. Ruud Dessing was a pioneer in incorporating ethics and philosophy in pharmaceutical care. He was honoured Fellow of ESCP in 2011.

Ruud Dessing was a very inspiring and amiable person.

Ruud studied chemistry and pharmacy at Leiden University, where he obtained his PhD in 1974. Besides his work as a community pharmacist in Noordwijk, he was director of Amsterdam medical press and published several books on medication use. Ruud Dessing was, together with Niels Muller, editor of the ESCP European Drug Index (EDI: extended information for practitioners confronted with the enormous number of drug names available on the European market, in times before internet a widely used encyclopedia in the last decades of the 20th century). He also was the first pharmacist in The Netherlands who handled the refill requests of patients in the GP practices in Noordwijk and discussed their medication adherence and the (side) effects of their drug use. Patient care took a prominent place in his career as a pharmacist. Ruud Dessing moderated a few times a workshop in philosophy and ethics in pharmacy practice at ESCP Symposia.

Ruud was very present at ESCP events and always had friends around him, not just to drink a beer or a glass of wine, to joke and gag, but, especially when time advanced, to philosophize and bring new ideas as how to bring patient care in pharmacy to a higher level of understanding. Those who know him will miss him.

As the family wrote in their death announcement:

“With loving memories and deep sadness we say goodbye to Ruud, my husband, with a tireless entrepreneurial spirit, our proud father, father-in-law and grandfather, who lived life to the fullest. As a highly learned and astute thinker, he had a great preference for science and philosophy. He enjoyed life in his own unique way and left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him. His zest for life, warmth and strength will always live in us.” The funeral has taken place in a private setting. We extend our condolences to his wife and (grand)children and wish them much strength in coping with the loss of this inspiring man.

22 November 2024

Introducing ESCP Close to You events

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

ESCP has been working on a new concept: the ESCP Close to You events. These 1-day events are meant to be physically organized on a regional level and on a regional/national knowledge level. In this way, we will be able to provide education and transfer knowledge that is precisely fitting to the national needs. Of course, the formula of the event will be adapted according to needs or experience.

The concept of these events is that participants will arrive on the event day or the evening before, and return home in the evening after the event. Where applicable, accreditation will be organized.

We are proud to announce the first ESCP ‘close to you’ activity on:
Monday the 25th of March
from 13:30 to 17:30
in the Sint Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Renowned speakers from across Europe will be sharing examples on how to shape the future of pharmacy chaired by our past-president professor Bart van den Bemt. See the flyer for further details. As simple as ABC, so don’t miss out if it is close to you!

Flyer ABC symposiumDownload

Granada Statements have been published

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

Pharmacy practice has been defined as “the scientific discipline that studies the different aspects of the practice of pharmacy and its impact on health care systems, medicine use, and patient care”. Like any other scientific discipline, clinical and social pharmacy practice disseminates research findings using scientific journals. Clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy journal editors have a role in promoting the discipline by enhancing the quality of the articles published.

​As has occurred in other health care areas (i.e., medicine and nursing), a group of clinical and social pharmacy practice journal editors gathered in Granada, Spain to discuss how journals could contribute to strengthening pharmacy practice as a discipline. 

The result of that meeting was compiled in these Granada Statements, which comprise 18 recommendations gathered into six topics: 

  1. the appropriate use of terminology
  2. impactful abstracts
  3. the required peer reviews
  4. journal scattering
  5. more effective and wiser use of journal and article performance metrics
  6. authors’ selection of the most appropriate pharmacy practice journal to submit their work.

ESCP is affiliated with the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. You can access the Granada statements here or at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-023-01550-8

The statements have been simultaneously published in the following journals: Ars Pharmaceutica; European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy; Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, Farmacia Hospitalaria; International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy; International Journal of Pharmacy Practice; Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice; Pharmaceutical Care Espana; Pharmacy Education; Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy; Revista Brasileira de Farmacia Hospitalar e Servicos de Saude.

The work is continuing – please see https://granadastatements.weebly.com/ where you can sign up for alerts.

April issue of IJCP has been published

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

ESCP is affiliated with the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy (IJCP), with all abstracts from our workshops and symposia published in the journal. 

Remember that all ESCP members have free access to all journal issues, via the member login pages. 

The April issue of the journal was recently published, https://link.springer.com/journal/11096/volumes-and-issues/45-2 Check out the great selection of ‘Granada statements’, reviews, research papers, commentaries and much more.  This includes an ESCP Best Practice Paper from Cheng et al., Development, implementation and evaluation of a seven-day clinical pharmacy service in a tertiary referral teaching hospital during surge-2 of the COVID-19 pandemic https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-022-01475-8

February 2023 issue of International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy has been published

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

The February issue of the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy is now available at this link.
Check out the great selection of reviews, papers, commentaries and much more.

Included in this issue is an ESCP Best Practice paper from Wales in the UK, Mantzourani E, Brooks O, James D, et al. Development, implementation and evaluation of the digital transformation of renal services in Wales: the journey from local to national. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. 2023;45:4-16.

Remember that ESCP members receive free access to the journal.

Call for Committee members

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

ESCP is an international leader in advancing quality and innovation in clinical pharmacy education, practice and research. 
As a committee member, you will be in a great position to contribute to delivering the vision and mission of ESCP. 
There are positions available in the Education Committee and the Communication Committee.
The standard term as a committee member is four years, which can be extended with the approval of the ESCP General Committee. 
 
To apply for either committee, you must be an ESCP member, attend the monthly online meetings and carry out all assigned tasks. You should be fluent in English (written and oral) and have good communication and interpersonal skills. 
 
This is a great opportunity to contribute. DON’T MISS IT!
How do I apply? You should send a short CV (limited to two pages), giving details of your educational level and relevant professional experience to the International Office, by email. Also include a short statement (no more than 300 words) of why you want to become a member of the committee you are applying for. 
 
What is the deadline? The call will close on 28 February, 2023 23:59 CET.
After that, you will be informed within 4 weeks about your application by the chair of the Committee you applied for.

_______________________________________________________________

Education Committee

The ESCP Education Committee co-ordinates the educational activities of ESCP and oversees the scientific level of these activities. The committee has responsibility for the webinar program of ESCP and leads all other educational activities. The Education Committee also participates in the construction of the scientific programs of all ESCP events and is involved in the selection of the theme of the events.

Requirements

Experience

Essential – A minimum of two years’ experience of clinical pharmacy practice.  

Desirable – Experience in teaching of clinical pharmacy and experience in research in clinical pharmacy/ clinical pharmacy education. Experience of working with international organisations related to clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical care, advocacy, or other health-related matters.

Communication Committee

The ESCP Communication Committee co-ordinates the communication of the society’s activities via all available communication channels, including emails, the newsletter, and social media.

Requirements

Experience

Essential – Interest in developing communication processes for ESCP members and non-members. Experience in a number of IT platforms, e.g. social media, Mailchimp, WordPress.

Desirable – Active on a number of social media platforms. Experience in website development, updating and maintenance.

ESCP awards four fellowships at Prague symposium 2022

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

During the opening ceremony of the ESCP symposium in Prague, Derek Stewart, ESCP President, presented the award of ESCP Fellowship (FESCP) to Bart van den Bemt, Stephane Steurbaut, Filipa Alves da Costa, and Hege Salvesen Blix (not shown).

Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of clinical pharmacy in general and in Europe in particular, as well as service to ESCP. 

Bart van den Bemt is Professor of Personalized Pharmaceutical Care at Radboud University/Radboud university medical center. He has a long history of involvement in national and international pharmacy organizations. He has had many roles at ESCP, most notably that of immediate past President. 

Stephane Steurbaut is Sector Lead for research, education, and innovation at the Department of Hospital Pharmacy, UZ Brussel, Belgium and Associate Professor in Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy, VUB, Belgium. Like Bart, he also has had many roles at ESCP, most notably that of immediate past Secretary to the General Committee.  

Filipa Alves da Costa is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy University of Lisbon, where she leads the Pharmaceutical Care and Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory. She is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, Frontiers in Pharmacology and Pharmacy Education. She is immediate past Chair of the ESCP Education Committee and was President of the 2021 annual symposium. 

Hege Salvesen Blix is Professor in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Oslo and a pioneer of clinical pharmacy in Norway. She has been a member of ESCP for many years, most recently being a member of the General Committee and representative on the Education Committee. The ESCP President thanked all four for their international leadership in clinical pharmacy, highlighting their specific impacts on ESCP.

Bart van den Bemt, Stephane Steurbaut, Filipa Alvez da Costa
Hege Salvesen Blix

ESCP wants your best practice. Deadline for abstract submissions 31 January 2024

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

We want your best practice!

The European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) and the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy (IJCP) are continuing the ‘Best Clinical Pharmacy Practice papers’ initiative. We are calling for clinical pharmacy practices and education that describe innovative and sustainable clinical pharmacy practices worth sharing, to be published in the IJCP.

Submissions are welcome from anyone! You don’t need to be an ESCP member or based in Europe!

What is best practice?

Best practices in clinical pharmacy relate to developments in practice and education, which are supported by thorough development and implementation processes along with high quality, robust and rigorous research evidence of evaluation outcomes. These outcomes may include aspects such as acceptability, adoption, (cost-)effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, sustainability, etc. Any areas of clinical pharmacy practice and education development in any setting will be considered.

Have a look at some Best Practice publications.

Rose O, Happe S, Huchtemann T, et al. Enhancing medication therapy in Parkinson’s disease by establishing an interprofessional network including pharmacists. Int J Clin Pharm. 2021;43:1-8.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-021-01263-w

Rushworth GF, Innes C, Macdonald A, et al. Development of innovative simulation teaching for advanced general practice clinical pharmacists. Int J Clin Pharm. 2021;43:817-824.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-021-01305-3

Hazen A, Sloeserwij V, Pouls B, et al. Clinical pharmacists in Dutch general practice: an integrated care model to provide optimal pharmaceutical care. Int J Clin Pharm. 2021;43:1155-1162.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-021-01304-4

Diesveld MM, de Klerk S, Cornu P, et al. Management of drug-disease interactions: a best practice from the Netherlands. Int J Clin Pharm. 2021;43:1437-50.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-021-01308-0

What do we ask?

To be considered for publication, the IJCP and ESCP will first select six leading best practice proposals submitted by end of January 2024. The proposal should be formatted as a 250-word abstract (excluding author details) with the following headings: 

•          Author detail (names affiliations, email of corresponding author) 

•          Background

•          Aim (of the practice)

•          Setting

•          Development (how the practice was developed)

•          Implementation (how the practice was implemented)

•          Evaluation (how the practice was evaluated; evaluation findings)

•          Conclusion

The top six selected proposals will be given the opportunity to be converted into full manuscripts of 3,000 words maximum. Further information on the format of the full manuscript is available by clicking on the link below. 

How can you submit?

Submission of manuscripts is made through the ESCP International Office at international.office@escpweb.org

Anyone can submit. You don’t need to be an ESCP member or based in Europe!

Do not forget to submit by 31 January 2024.

2023-10-31-ESCP-Best-Practice-Papers-Link-for-full-information-October-2023Download

IJCP launches call for submission on Mental Health

Posted on by Edwin van Aalten

The International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy (IJCP) is pleased to announce an upcoming Special Issue of the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy.

With guest editors, Filipa Alves da Costa, Matej Stuhec and Martina Hahn, submission is open for reviews, research articles, short research reports and commentaries.

Deadline for manuscript submission is 31 March 2023, with a planned date of publication of Autumn 2023.

For further information, please visit this link 

Join ESCP (become a member)

Join ESCP today and help to strengthen our clinical pharmacy community. We are a global society for all members of the pharmacy team in all settings.

Click here for membership

The International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy is affiliated with ESCP



ESCP is registered at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 40532427.

© European Society of Clinical Pharmacy, 2025