ESCP is affiliated with the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy (IJCP), with all abstracts from our workshops and symposia published in the journal.
During the ESCP Spring Workshop in Antwerp we had the opportunity to hear the results of the work of young colleagues from Latvia and Malta.
Anna Gavrilova
Anna has a pharmacist diploma and she is currently pursuing a PhD in clinical pharmacy. Her research focuses on the safety aspects of direct oral anticoagulants among patients with atrial fibrillation. She is primarily involved in academic work, and she teaches courses on “Pharmaceutical Pharmacology” and “Pharmacotherapy in Pharmacist’s Practice” along with her colleagues at Rīga Stradiņš University (Riga, Latvia). Collaborating with her esteemed colleagues in various disciplines, they aim to provide comprehensive education and contribute to the advancement of pharmaceutical knowledge. Their institution established the new Pharmaceutical Education and Research Centre, which significantly promotes their research efforts and enables us to conduct more extensive studies.
The goal of drug therapy is to be safe and effective. During the ESCP Spring Workshop, Anna shared her research findings on the significance of direct oral anticoagulants’ (DOAC) concentration measure assays for patients taking amiodarone simultaneously. It was discovered that, in atrial fibrillation patients receiving amiodarone before scheduled electrical cardioversion, higher-than expected concentrations of DOACs are found for rivaroxaban and edoxaban users. This event provided an excellent opportunity to discuss practical concerns regarding the optimization of medication usage, risk decreasing against bleeding, and providing high-quality care to this patient cohort. The experience has motivated her to further her research to discover objective control mechanisms of long-term DOAC therapy.
Anna´s department has substantial experience in studying adherence problems to antihypertensive therapy. Achieving optimal blood pressure control, the main goal of antihypertensive treatment requires patient cooperation in addition to effective medication. Available evidence suggests that up to 90% of patients with AH may miss treatment, and ~ 50% may discontinue therapy within one year of diagnosis. Their recent survey results indicate that every other patient is non-adherent in Latvia, which is a concerning finding. Prescription databases analytical study also supported these results. However, both of these methods have disadvantages, so they are not commonly utilized in daily clinical practice. Thus, there is a need for more independent methods to measure adherence, such as determining the concentration of an antihypertensive drug or metabolite over a prolonged period of therapy, minimizing the risk of subjectivity.
Anna concluded: “The clinical pharmacy offers numerous advantages in healthcare. By actively involving pharmacists in patient care, clinical pharmacy enhances medication safety and optimizes therapeutic outcomes. Pharmacists with expertise play a pivotal role in medication management, conducting medication reconciliation, identifying and resolving medication-related problems, and providing drug information to healthcare professionals and patients. Interdisciplinary teams promote effective communication and collaboration, resulting in improved patient care. Moreover, it contributes to research and education, expanding the knowledge base and ensuring evidence-based practice. Given our shared interest in patient safety, medication optimization, and adherence, I invite everyone to consider collaborating on future projects and initiatives to further advance clinical pharmacy practice and contribute to the betterment of patient care. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in this field.”
Raquel Formosa
Raquel is 22-year-old Maltese final year pharmacy student reading for a Master in Pharmacy (M.Pharm.) degree at the University of Malta.
During the Spring ESCP Workshop in Antwerp, Belgium, Raquel presented an oral communication reflecting findings from her dissertation, which focused on ‘Pharmacist-Led Personalisation of Antiplatelet Therapy and Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention’. The research was conducted under the supervision of Dr Francesca Wirth, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Malta and Member of the Research Committee of ESCP. The research was undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Cardiology at Mater Dei Hospital, the main acute general hospital in Malta.
There is currently an ongoing dilemma regarding the choice and duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The research aimed to assess bleeding risk, optimise antithrombotic therapy and evaluate outcomes in patients undergoing PCI. Two hundred patients undergoing PCI and candidates for DAPT were prospectively recruited for this cohort study. Bleeding risk was determined using the PRECISE-DAPT score, which was not routinely used in local practice. Low bleeding risk patients on oral anticoagulation therapy and all moderate-to-high bleeding risk patients were discussed with the cardiologists for therapy optimisation, taking into account also ischaemic risk. Cardiologists accepted the researcher as part of the team and considered the bleeding risk evaluation proposed by the researcher, where changes in treatment where made as necessary. Patients were followed up over a 1-year period post-PCI for morality, bleeding and ischaemic outcomes. Application of the PRECISE-DAPT score in this setting was innovative, and the research demonstrated that pharmacist-led evaluation of bleeding risk supported cardiologists in the personalisation of antithrombotic therapy post-PCI.
Disseminating research as an oral presentation in this year’s ESCP workshop was a valuable opportunity for Raquel, especially since it was her first time participating and disseminating research in an international forum. Raquel valued the insightful feedback received from the workshop attendees and it was an enriching experience which she will cherish. From a networking perspective, she made new connections with international peers in the field of pharmacy. It is definitely an experience that should not be missed, and young researchers are encouraged to become members of ESCP, submit research abstracts and attend activities organised by ESCP!
We are happy we can introduce the research of our members. This time we introduce the research of Ugur Balaban from Turkey.
Ugur works as a research assistant in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy at Hacettepe University in Ankara. His research interests include drug pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics during therapeutic plasma exchange and renal replacement therapies, therapeutic drug monitoring, and antimicrobials. Currently, Ugur and the team from Department of Clinical Pharmacy, work on questionnaire study. They aim to contribute to the existing literature and increase awareness among clinicians regarding antimicrobial treatment practices in patients undergoing therapeutic plasma exchange.
Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), a therapeutic procedure in which blood of the patient is passed through a medical device which separates out plasma from other components of blood. The plasma is removed and replaced with a suitable replacement fluid (e.g., human albumin, fresh frozen plasma). TPE aims to remove disease-associated pathogenic elements from the patient’s plasma, including autoantibodies, toxins and cytokines.
It is important to note that TPE not only removes pathogenic elements from the plasma but can also result in the removal of drugs. There are no definitive guidelines about antimicrobial drug removal by TPE or the appropriate antimicrobial drug dosing in patients undergoing concurrent TPE. Based on this, the purpose of this questionnaire study is to highlight treatment practices in patients receiving antimicrobial drug treatment and undergoing concurrent TPE, as well as clinicians’ knowledge and attitudes. The questionnaire is primarily aimed at physicians working in the departments of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, as well as intensive/critical care. Furthermore, physicians from other departments are also encouraged to participate.
We as a clinical pharmacists could help Ugur and his team with distributing the questionnaire among a wide range of physicians we are collaborating with by sharing the link. For more information contact Ugur directly: ugurbalaban@hacettepe.edu.tr
Ugur Balaban, Prof. Dr. S. Kutay Demirkan, and Dr. Emre Kara (Faculty of Pharmacy at Hacettepe University in Ankara)
In April, ESCP welcomed participants from 19 countries to its international workshop ‘Advancing clinical pharmacy and care in diabetes and cardiovascular comorbidities’ in Antwerp (Belgium).
The program for the 2-day workshops had four plenary sessions.
Philip Newland-Jones discussed the future and forefront of type 2 diabetes management to optimize care and reduce future risk of complications.
Alia Gilani shared her experiences as senior diabetes clinical pharmacist working in a UK general practice setting within an area of high deprivation and diversity. Developing innovative services she managed to provide care to hard-to-reach groups.
Frederik Verbrugge provided an update in cardiovascular co-morbidities prevention with an extensive overview of must-read scientific papers underlining both preventive measures (smoking cessation, limit salt intake, …) as well as pharmacological and surgical treatment options.
Goos Laverman presented the Diabetes and Lifestyle Cohort Twente (DIALECT) as example of an integrated approach to reach treatment targets in persons with type 2 diabetes.
In the four workshops, participants discussed the following topics: safe use of injectables and devices in diabetes patients, lifestyle and personalized diabetes treatment in primary care, tackling inequalities in medication management and medication review and management of diabetes in patients with multimorbidity.
The integrated management including preventive and lifestyle measures as well as pharmacological and nutritional management focusing on all aspects of our (multimorbidity) patients is key.
Spring arrived just in time to create a nice atmosphere for walks both in lunch break as well as to welcome participants to the city hall of Antwerp for the reception. We were welcomed by the city with local beers and received a private guided tour of the city hall.
Update from the General Committee (by Derek Stewart)
The General Committee is the ESCP leadership body and is responsible for driving the strategy of the society. We are continuing to move with delivering our 2022-2024 strategy and are now working with external consultants, 3Sixty Healthcare Meetings Consultancy, on a number of key areas surrounding event planning and strategic partnerships with industry. We have now approved the 2023 plans for each of the ESCP Committees. These are exciting and ambitious plans which will impact the products that we deliver for our members. We are very grateful for the hard work of the committees and look forward to future updates. Each committee has provided an update of activities in this newsletter. We are also pushing forward on collaborative agreements with several national clinical pharmacy societies, with mutual benefits for ESCP and the national societies. If you are involved with your national clinical pharmacy society and would like to explore partnership, then please get in touch. You will read later in the newsletter about our continued work on the Oath to Society with the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP). Along with EAHP, we are also progressing the establishment of the European Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation (ECPhA) and will provide updates in future newsletters. We have also had very productive discussions with the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Associations (EPSA) regarding collaboration and are in the process of meeting with the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF).
Interested in joining the General Committee? Watch this space for announcements of vacancies.
Update from the Communication Committee (by Derek Stewart)
For the last year, Derek Stewart ESCP President has chaired the Communication Committee. During that time the committee has been increasingly active in improving communication to members and non-members. If you are not already doing so, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. The committee is now working on an ambassador initiative, which will be presented to the General Committee in the next few months and then piloted. Watch this space!
Derek is now handing the chair of the committee to Esteban Zavaleta.
Esteban Zavaleta, PharmD, MSM, has more than 17 years of experience in hospital and clinical pharmacy. Although his position is related to different administrative activities, he is actively involved in several clinical and research projects. Esteban has been active in a variety of pharmacy organizations in Costa Rica, and currently, he is an active member of several global pharmacy organizations such as ESCP.
Esteban aspires to improve the communication with current active members and invite other clinical pharmacy personnel around the world to join ESCP´s initiatives.
In March, we also welcomed a new committee member.
Dr Abdu Soltani, Assistant Professor in Clinical Pharmacy & Molecular Neurosciences. Abdu joined the Academic Quality Department at Qatar University Health in 2021. He completed his PhD at King’s College London in 2011 (Molecular Neurosciences & Medicinal Chemistry). Abdu has over 10 years’ experience as a clinical pharmacist, research investigator and quality assurance person at King’s College London, University College London & University of Hertfordshire, UK.
Abdu’s research interests are focused on optimizing the clinical management of neurological & psychiatric disorders in addition to medical education. Looking forward to joining the fantastic team of ESCP’s communication committee.
Update from the Education Committee (by Kateřina Malá Ládová)
In Spring 2023, EdCom welcomed three new members
Dr. Hamde Nazar, director of education and senior lecturer in pharmacy practice, School of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
Dr. Joanne Brown, clinical education pharmacist, Northern Ireland Universities Network
Dr. Valentina Buda, clinical pharmacist and associate professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania
All three have become immediately involved in EdCom activities so that the action plan for 2023 can be fulfilled. EdCom also organizes and supports ESCP webinars, the quality of which is demonstrated through the profiles of the internationally renowned expert presenters from across the world. Visit our website for more information. The EdCom will also deliver a workshop at the ESCP symposium in Aberdeen later this year.
Update from the Special Interest Group (SIG) Council (by Bart Pouls)
The SIG task force is working on operationalising communications within SIGs and within ESCP together with ComCom and the webmasters. In addition, we are setting up the SIG council to learn from each other and determine how we can best support our vibrant community. Interested in joining on of the SIGs or starting one with fellow ESCP members? Please click here for more information.
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:
the appropriate use of terminology
impactful abstracts
the required peer reviews
journal scattering
more effective and wiser use of journal and article performance metrics
authors’ selection of the most appropriate pharmacy practice journal to submit their work.
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.
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
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.
Brussels, 13 March 2023. Last Wednesday, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) brought together representatives of the healthcare community to talk about the provision of compassionate patient care, working as part of the healthcare team and advancing the clinical and hospital pharmacy profession. The discussion at the European Parliament focused on unmet health needs, clinical pharmacy services, workforce shortages and the impact of medication errors and the lack of comprehensive, and European-wide data on their occurrence.
Many did not know before the launch of the EAHP-ESCP Oath to Society in October 2021 that both professions carry out a variety of activities to ensure optimal treatment outcomes for patients. Almost 1,5 years after the launch, EAHP and ESCP decided to take stock and obtain insights from other stakeholders on how clinical and hospital pharmacists can continue to deliver on the promises included in the Oath to Society.
Reflecting on the value of the initiative ahead of the event, Martina Hahn, ESCP General Committee Member, pointed out that “the Oath to Society is an important step to raise awareness of the profession of pharmacists and clinical pharmacists in particular. All faculties across Europe received the Oath and if all students and all pharmacists in Europe stick to them and take on the new responsibilities now, every citizen will know what to expect from every pharmacist in Europe – a highly professional service to his or her best health and safety in regards to drug therapy.”
The event in the European Parliament – hosted by Member of the European Parliament István Ujhelyi – brought together key stakeholders that are engaging closely with clinical and hospital pharmacists. The panellists Thomas Kanga-Tona (AIM – International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies), Juan José Fernández Romero (EPF – European Patients’ Forum), Ber Oomen (ESNO – European Specialist Nurses Organisation), Pascal Garel (HOPE – European Hospital and Healthcare Federation) and Marc Hermans (UEMS – European Union of Medical Specialists) shared their positive experiences in working collaboratively with clinical and hospital pharmacists and showed why multidisciplinary approaches are paramount for improving patient care and lowering medication errors, not only in times when healthcare systems are burdened by shortages of medicines and healthcare staff.
The Oath to Society is the promise that the members of EAHP and ESCP make to patients and the public they serve, the healthcare professionals they interact with and the health systems they work in. The Oath functions as a compass for pharmacists to adhere to the highest standards of ethics, integrity and professionalism, as they provide service to the community over the course of their careers. Touching on trust and respect, different aspects of the patient care pathway, the multidisciplinary care team, disease prevention and health promotion, education and the future development of pharmacy practice, the Oath to Society is all-encompassing. In his closing remarks during the launch event, EAHP President András Süle thanked the participants for their valuable input and underlined that “EAHP and ESCP look forward to working on increasing the visibility of the Oath to Society by further disseminating them among patient and healthcare professional organisations, the reimbursement of clinical pharmacy and keeping the discussion alive with patients, physicians, nurses, health providers and payers.”
For further information contact info@eahp.eu | 00 322 669 2513
1. The European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) is an organization that promotes, supports, implements and advances education, practice and research in clinical pharmacy in order to optimize outcomes for patients and society. More information about the ESCP and its history here.
2. The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) is an association of national organisations across 35 countries representing hospital pharmacists at European and international levels. More information about the EAHP and its history here.
The 50th ESCP Symposium “Polypharmacy and ageing” took place in congress hotel Olšanka, Prague, Czech Republic on October 19 – 21, 2022 and emphasized the important role of clinical pharmacists in the resolution of drug-therapy problems in older adults. These individuals often have multiple chronic disease conditions treated by polypharmacy. Almost 500 professionals of various background from EU and non-EU countries attended this event.
The pre-symposium event was the Masterclass on Excellence in Research oriented to “Methodologies in Deprescribing”, organized by ESCP Research Committee o led by Assoc. Prof. Cathal Cadogan and Dr. Juliette O´Connel (Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland).
The official opening ceremony commenced with a welcome from the ESCP President, Prof. Derek Stewart, highlighting key initiatives of ESCP and progressing the development of clinical pharmacy education, science, and practice in Europe. Prof. Stewart applauded the work of all ESCP committees, and the recently launched Special Interest Groups on “Deprescribing”, “Mental Health” and “Young ESCP”.
Assoc. Prof. Daniela Fialová, President of the symposium emphasized major achievements of Czech clinical pharmacy, particularly establishing fully reimbursed clinical pharmacy positions in acute (2010) and ambulatory care (2020) by Czech Professional Society of Clinical Pharmacists of J.B. Purkyně. She welcomed honorable guests of the Czech Republic, particularly Deans of both Faculties of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové and Brno, representatives of the Institute for Postgraduate Education in HealthCare and State Institute for Drug Control, representatives of the Czech clinical pharmacy platforms, Czech pharmaceutical and medical societies and the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic.
ESCP Fellowships were awarded to Prof. Filipa Alves da Costa (Portugal), Prof. Stephane Steubart (Belgium), and Prof. Bart van den Bemt (the Netherlands) for their outstanding contributions to clinical pharmacy education, practice and research in Europe.
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.
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.
The ESCP President thanked all four for their international leadership in clinical pharmacy, highlighting their specific impacts on ESCP.
Czech national awards were given to renowned persons supporting advances in clinical pharmacy nationally, Prof. Ludmila Kameníková, Prof. Jiří Vlček, Prof. Tomáš Šimůnek, PharmDr. Jana Gregorová, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Daniela Fialová, PharmD, Ph.D. and PharmDr. Milada Halačová, Ph.D.
The first plenary lecture of Prof. Graziano Onder (Roma, Italy) focused on increasing trends in multimorbidity in older adults, strategies to diagnose geriatric syndromes and how to prevent geriatric drug-related morbidity and polypharmacy. Prof. Tobias Dreischult (Munich, Germany) emphasized the role of clinical pharmacists in resolution of polypharmacy and multidrug therapy problems in complex older adults, as well as the importance of the Theory of Planned Behaviour for making long-term change in prescribing and ensuring positive impact of clinical pharmacy services. Prof. Carmel Hughes (Dublin, Ireland) delivered the Steve Hudson Memorial Lecture highlighting facilitators and barriers to clinical pharmacy research and the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on complex research activities, particularly on projects in multimorbid older patients in primary care. She noted future opportunities and challenges to clinical pharmacy research in geriatric polypharmacy. Further plenary lectures highlighted the specific approaches of pharmacotherapy and care for complex older patients, impact of population ageing, new European initiatives in reducing polypharmacy burden in complex older adults (e.g., EU projects SENATOR, OPERAM, EuroAgeism-ESR7, I-CARE4OLD and the others) and other specific topics of geriatric clinical pharmacy. Main plenary lectures were accompanied by interesting workshops, oral and poster presentations, and round table discussions.
Political representatives featured throughout the program, including a round table discussion targeted at supporting reimbursement of clinical pharmacy services in different settings of care and different European countries. Representatives included Prof. Alpana Mair from Scotland (Chair of the European projects focused on polypharmacy- EU SIMPATHY and i-SIMPATHY), Prof. Mateo Cesari, Switzerland (Ageing Unit of the World Health Organization), Dr. Francois-Lery Xavier and Dr. Silvia Ravella, France (European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare of the European Council), Prof. Barbro Westerholm, Sweden (Age Platform Europe, Brussels) and Prof. Angela Kydd, UK (the EUROAGEISM H2020 project) contributed to policy talks and discussions.
Two affiliated symposia had participation of clinical pharmacists from Central and Eastern Europe (1) on establishing paid research positions of clinical pharmacists in various settings of care and (2) collaboration of clinical pharmacists and physicians in care for older adults using polypharmacy in different healthcare settings (3 and 4) Research Symposia of the EU projects I-CARE4OLD H2020 (2021-2025) and EuroAgeism ESR7 H2020 (2017-2022) (Oct 20, 2022). These symposia aimed to inspire participants in supporting development of paid clinical pharmacy positions and to stimulate European research in geriatric clinical pharmacy and deprescribing.
We would like to thank to all members of the symposium Organizing and Scientific Committees, all plenary speakers, Masterclass and workshop moderators, active and passive participants, ESCP committee members, policy representatives, professional conference organizer C-IN, International Office, and local organizing teams from congress venue Olšanka, as well as student helpers from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University in Hradec Králové for their help and excellent support of the whole organization of Prague ESCP congress! Many thanks also to all our sponsors!
Text: Assoc. Prof. Daniela Fialová, PharmD, Ph.D. and Organizing Committee of Prague 2022 ESCP congress
Photos: Rudolf Kovář, Andrea Pezzillo, Andrea Vokálová
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ESCP has announced that the International Workshop for 2023 will take place in Antwerp from 20-21 April 2023. Interested in ‘Advancing clinical pharmacy and care in diabetes and cardiovascular comorbidities’? Come and join us!
Remember that there are discounted fees for ESCP members and students. Take this opportunity to join ESCP!
The October issue of the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy is now available at this link. Check out the great selection of reviews, research papers, commentaries and much more.
Remember that ESCP members receive free access to the journal.
ESCP Fellowship is awarded in recognition of the outstanding contributions to the advancement of clinical pharmacy in general and in Europe in particular, as well as service to ESCP. At the recent workshop in Zurich, ESCP Fellowship was awarded to Vera Jordan-von Guten, who now joins a small group of around 35 Fellows. Vera has been instrumental in the development of clinical pharmacy education, research and practice in Switzerland, throughout Europe and beyond. She has been a member and supporter of ESCP for many years, became a member of the Education Committee in 2008, Chair of the committee in 2013, and only stepped down from the committee in 2021. ESCP is proud of, and indebted to, Vera.
The picture shows Vera receiving the Fellowship Medal from Derek Stewart, ESCP President.
A position paper from the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy defining ‘clinical pharmacy’ and its relationship to pharmaceutical care has very recently been published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. The paper is available open access at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11096-022-01422-7
Developed following a consultation exercise amongst ESCP members, the position paper clarifies that clinical pharmacy (1) represents both a professional practice and feld of research, (2) aims to optimise the utilisation of medicines in order to achieve person-centered and public health goals, (3) as a practice encompasses cognitive, managerial and interpersonal activities targeting all stages of the medicines use process, and as a feld of research generates knowledge that informs clinical decision-making, health care organisation or policy, (4) as a practice is restricted to pharmacists, (5) can be practiced regardless of setting, and (6) encompasses pharmaceutical care but is not restricted to it.
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.
