The EAHP has issued a new format practice survey to heads of hospital pharmacy across Europe. The survey aims to shine light on the current state of practice in EAHP's member countries and where attention for practice development is most required.

Since the 1990s, EAHP has conducted landmark surveys of practice on a quinquennial basis in order to:

• monitor the changes occurring across Europe in relation to what the hospital profession does and how it does it;

• locate where best and good practice exists;

• identify where progress may be below aspiration level.

The last survey was conducted in 2010 with results published via a series of articles in the European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy.

The year 2015 sees a new departure for the EAHP practice survey, with its basis now firmly routed in the 44 European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy. The statements were agreed at a 2014 Summit with hospital pharmacy organisations, patients and other healthcare professionals, and now form the principal platform for EAHP's practice development activity. The 2015 ‘baseline survey’ now issued to EAHP's member associations for circulation will take a picture of how hospital pharmacy in Europe stands overall against the 44 aspirational European statements. From autumn 2015, EAHP's survey activity will then move to an annual calendar, focusing on two of the six statement areas.

Speaking about the changes to the survey, and its importance, Jennie De Greef, EAHP …