CALL FOR ACTION BY THE ALLIANCE FOR THE DIGITALISATION OF MEDICATION MANAGEMENT IN EUROPEAN HOSPITALS TO SUPPORT THE DIGITALISATION OF HOSPITALS’ MEDICATION MANAGEMENT PATHWAYS
Introduction
On the occasion of the revision of the basic pharmaceutical regulation, health managers, patients,
healthcare professionals and the medical technology industry have joined forces under the Alliance
for the Digitalisation of Medication Management in European Hospitals to issue
recommendations to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States on
fostering the digitalisation of medication management.
The Alliance for the Digitalisation of Medication Management in European Hospitals is a group of
Brussels-based NGOs, founded in February 2022, advocating for the digitalisation of the medication
management pathway in European Hospitals.
Our alliance members are:
Hospitals’ medication management pathways are complex and include several activities
involving ordering, reception, storing, prescription, compounding, distribution, and dispensing
/administration of medicines to patients across wards in hospitals. Stock control, management
and monitoring activities in this pathway require various clinical groups to ensure sufficient
supplies and the safe administration of medicine to patients. Yet tasks in this pathway are
defined by manual activities and digitalisation is lagging; the penetration of digitalisation of the
medication management pathway in ALL European countries is low.
Digitalisation of medication management means full track-and-trace medication management
solutions, otherwise known as closed-loop-medication management systems, from pharmacy to ward
to the patient’s bedside with a smart, automated, completely integrated digital approach. On the
occasion of the revision of the basic pharmaceutical regulation, in the context of the European
Pharmaceutical Strategy, the implementation of the EU4 Health programme and the advent of the
European Health Data Space, the Alliance for the Digitalisation of Medication Management in
European Hospitals provides recommendations to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the EU Member States to seize unique opportunities in existing and forthcoming policy, legislation and programmes to revolutionise hospitals medication management pathways by implementing and upscaling digitalisation in hospitals medication management pathways.
The benefits of upscaling the digitalisation of hospitals’ medication management pathways include:
Resilient hospital systems with increased capabilities
Spending would be optimised, productivity increased, and waste reduced throughout the entire medication management pathway via the automation of manual activities which will reduce and eliminate non-reliable manual processes. Hospital managers and pharmacists would have data on expiring drugs supporting the environmental sustainability of supply chains.
More reliable information about the availability of medicines
More accurate visibility of hospitals’ medicine supplies can provide real-time information on the availability of critical medical products supporting the extended role of the European Medicines Agency for the management of medicine shortages via the new IT European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP). Accurate information on medicine supply can reduce stock-outs and support the reallocation of products within regions and across member states.
Availability of real-world data in interoperable systems
Hospital budgets can save up to 15% with better use of health information. Interoperable patient generated health data, including data on medication, can pave the way for the delivery of personalised healthcare, the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), the successful roll-out of the EHDS, the monitoring and evaluation of treatment outcomes and provide real-world data to support evidence based decision-making.
Antimicrobial stewardship
The fight against AMR through the prudent use of antibiotics can be enhanced by modernising hospitals’ medication management pathways. Implementing digital tools and systems can support antimicrobial stewardship programs to reduce antibiotic consumption and aid healthcare professionals ensure that the correct dose of the most appropriate antibiotic is administered to patients.
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Medication is the main part of the therapeutic process for hospital patients and the second highest
spending chapter for health budgets. With hospitals stocking up to 200 medicines medication
management (often referred to the “medication management pathway”) is an onerous activity for
hospitals.