The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) has co-authored an article with a broad range of academics and interested parties, entitled “Recommendations for wider adoption of clinical pharmacy in Central and Eastern Europe in order to optimise pharmacotherapy and improve patient outcomes”. It was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology in August 2023.
Defined by the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy as a means of optimising “the utilization of medicines through practice and research in order to achieve person-centred and public health goals”, clinical pharmacy services (CPSs) have been shown to contribute substantially to enhanced patient outcomes. They are also a key component of efforts to achieve high-quality and cost-effective health services. As specific health needs worldwide continue to grow, the benefits of involving the clinical pharmacist all along the patient journey (“integrated medicines management”) have become more apparent, but implementing CPSs on a broad scale creates serious challenges for healthcare systems.
This paper reviews CPSs in a number of central and eastern European countries* and details the prospects for the future. The authors refer in particular to Council of Europe Resolution CM/Res(2020)3 on the implementation of pharmaceutical care for the benefit of patients and health services, drafted under the auspices of the European Committee on Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Care (CD-P-PH) of the EDQM. This text is an important part of the EDQM’s efforts to ensure better health for all, inviting governments, competent health authorities and professional bodies to take steps to promote patient-centred care in their legal frameworks.
Best practice in several countries is also described, reviewing the offer of professional education in clinical pharmacy. The authors also make actionable recommendations concerning education, research, interdisciplinarity, international collaboration, legal frameworks, dedicated scientific societies and promotional campaigns. The article itself also highlights the importance of international co-operation to increase the use of clinical pharmacy in Europe for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems alike.
* Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
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