The Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland

HPAI welcome the publication of the review seeking statutory recognition of the role of pharmacy technician.   The comprehensive position paper by FORSA and the NAHPT outlines clearly the vital role hospital pharmacy technicians play in medication supply and safe use.  The position paper is available here and we urge all pharmacists to read and discuss with your hospital pharmacy technician colleagues.  

Enhancing patients’ access to high-quality and affordable medicinal products across the European Union while preserving the financial sustainability of healthcare systems should be the overarching aim of the current revision of the general pharmaceutical legislation. AIDES, AIM, Consilium Scientific, CPME, EAHP, EATG, ECL, EPHA, GHA, HOPE, NoGracias, PGEU, Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation, Prescrire, Salud por Derecho and Wemos have joined forces to outline how the revision of the general pharmaceutical legislation should: 1. Foster affordability to improve access to high-quality medicinal products, 2. Improve the assessment and evidence requirement of medicinal products’ effectiveness and safety, and 3. Ensure a sufficient supply of medicinal products and combat shortages. We call on the European Commission to include the considerations that have been put forward in this joint statement in the revision of the general pharmaceutical legislation.

Full Statement Available from EAHP

The HPAI Annual Conference 2023 featured a range of high-quality short oral presentations that encompassed a range of topics of interest to hospital pharmacists. The conference heard from Ms Helen Heery, who discussed the issue of delirium in patients and the role of the hospital pharmacist in a presentation titled, ‘Stop! Think Delirium’. “This is a really serious problem in hospitals and one in which I believe pharmacists can play a key role in its management,” she said.

A timeline of discussions with the HSE regarding the development of a  fit for purpose career structure recognising the value and expertise that Hospital pharmacists bring to  modern healthcare has been published under the CAREER STRUCTURE tab.

The length of the negotiations coupled with failed implementation despite clear safety, quality and financial benefits is of great regret to members of the profession who have worked tirelessly and diligently to improve services, expand roles and bring expertise in the use of medicines from the pharmacy to the side of the patient.