Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL-Bruxelles) Louvain Drug Research Institute (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences) Centre for Clinical Pharmacy
Site en francais | In het Nederlands - Last update: 14/10/2011

Clinical Pharmacy is a pharmaceutical activity centered on the patient. Its primary objective is to ensure the most appropriate and safe use of medicines. In this activity, the pharmacist uses his/her knowledge and skills relative to pharmacology, pharmacotherapy and communication with other health care professionals and patients in order to promote the effective use of medicines in hospitals and in primary care.

The Centre has been created informally in 2003 to house the Research and Advanced Teaching activities of our University and of its affiliated hospitals in Clinical Pharmacy. It is presently in the process of being formally incorporated in the new structure of the University as part of the "Louvain Drug Research Institute".

• On June 8th, 2006, the Centre has organized the first Symposium on "Clinical Pharmacy : from foreign experiences to realizations in Belgium" (in co-operation with the Universiteit Gent and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)
  
  
• On November 15th, 2008, the Centre cooperated to the organization of a second Symposium devoted to "Clinical Pharmacy, a new orientation in pharmaceutical practice" (La pharmacie clinique, une nouvelle orientation du métier de pharmacien) organized by PharmaLouvain (the organization of alumni from the School of Pharmacy of te Université catholique de Louvain).
  
  
• In April-May 2010, the Centre has presented an overview of Clinical Pharmacy (as developped at the Université catholique de Louvain) in the context of a Chaire Francqui given at the Université libre de Bruxelles (see details here).
  
  
• In July 2010, the Centre will start the training of Hospital Pharmacists in a 3-years programme that includes a specific section about Clinical Pharmacy (see details here)

Research Programs

General objectives

Study of the appropriateness of medicines use in selected hospital wards, to demonstrate the value of optimization strategies within the context of Clinical Pharmacy Services.


Current research programs

There are three main ongoing programmes (PhD):

• Continuity of care focusing on medications after hospital discharge
  Investigator: Coraline Claeys, Pharm.[ULB]
  
  
• Appropriate use of antibiotics, with emphasis on therapeutic monitoring and application of PK/PD principles
  Investigator: Els Ampe, Pharm. & Hosp. Pharm. [KU-Leuven]
  
  
• Appropriate use of sedative drugs in Intensive Care Units
  Investigator: Barbara Sneyers, Pharm. [UCL], Cert. Pharm. Clin. [UCL]
  
  

Additional programmes are ongoing through collaborations with other Universities in Belgium and with the Belgian Health Care Knowldge Center (KCE).

Research methods used

• qualitative methods (eg observation, interviews, focus groups, ... see example 1)
  
  
• quantitative methods (randomized controlled trial, before-after study, interruped time-series analysis, ... see example 2)
  
  
• optimization of drug use based on pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (application to antibiotics; ...see example 3)
  

Example 1: Appropriateness of use of medicines in elderly inpatients: qualitative study
(from Spinewine et al.,British Medical Journal, 2005; 331:935-939 ] )

Example 2: Impact of a clinical pharmacist providing pharmaceutical care on a geriatric unit: quantitative study (from Spinewine et al., unpublished)

Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Clinical pharmacists provide pharmaceutical care from admission to discharge, as illustrated in the figure below.

See also

• our conferences and symposia in which clinical practice approaches are presented
• our reports to public health authorities
  

Education in Clinical Pharmacy

A. In Belgium

Education is organized at the post-graduate level (after the Masters degree of Pharmacist). Two possibilities are open to candidates:

• Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy:  90-hour program directed at hospital pharmacists (candidates must have a degree in Pharmacy, and, if possible, specialization in Hospital Pharmacy [pharmacists without a specialisation in hospital pharmacy can also apply, but should send a letter to the corrdinators of the program to explain their motivation).
  The objectives are to acquire knowledge and skills in (i) pharmacotherapy and rational use of medicines, (ii) prescription monitoring and development of pharmaceutical care plan, (iii) problem-solving, decision making and active participation in the medical team.
   
  
• Master in Hospital Pharmacy (including teaching and training in clinical pharmacy). This new 3-years programme will include ull clinical rotations, teaching in specific topics elated to Clinical Pharmacy, participation to workshops, and realization of personal assignements.

  Other educational activities include weekly workshops and/or seminars in clinical pharmacy.

  Exchanges between Belgian (UCL) and Canadian (Université de Montréal) professors and researchers are made each year, in order to encourage cooperation and reinforce educational as well as research activities developed by our Center

The Centre provides guidance and expertise to the University of Pharmacy in Hanoi, Vietnam, for the launching of Clinical Pharmacy in this country
(through a cooperative programme supported by Wallonie-Bruxelles International)

See details at http://www.facm.ucl.ac.be/advanced-courses.htm

Expertise

• set up of guidelines and therapeutic recommendations
• drug-related educational activities (see examples in the poster and web-education sections sections [under construction])
• drug evaluation and analysis (for registration and reimbursement procedures)
• systematic reviews on quality of drug use and approaches for optimisation

Scientific Staff and contact   

Direction and Senior Members

• Professor A. Spinewine (PharmD, Master Clin. Pharm. [London], PhD
  Tel. +32-81-42.33.18 or +32-2-764.72.36 - <anne.spinewine@facm.ucl.ac.be> 

•  Professor L. Wilmotte (PharmD)
   Tel. +32-2-764.36.34 <wilmotte@hosp.ucl.ac.be>

• Professor Paul M. Tulkens (MD, PhD)
  Tel. +32-2-764.73.71 or +32-2-762.21.36 - <tulkens@facm.ucl.ac.be

• Jean-Daniel Hecq, PharmD, PhD
  Tel +32 81 42 33 00 - <jean-daniel.hecq@mont.ucl.ac.be>

Junior Members  

• Doctoral fellows (PhD)

•  Els Ampe, Pharm, Belgium (PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences)
   <els.ampe@facm.ucl.ac.be>
  
  
• Barbara Sneyers, Pharm. (PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences)
  <barbara.sneyers@uclouvain.be>
  
  
• Coraline Clayes, Pharm. (PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences)
  <coraline.claeys@ulb.ac.be>
  
  

• Clinical pharmacists 

• at the Cliniques universitaires St-Luc (Brussels): C Briquet, O Dalleur, V Duveiller, S Quennery, F Vaillant, A Wertz

• at the Cliniques universitaires UCL de Mont-Godinne (Yvoir): C Artoisenet, L Carnevali, V Goncette, C Michel, A Mouzon, G Remy
  
  

Advisory Board and Associate Members
(by alphabetic order)

Prof. Y. Glupczynski (Microbiology), Dr J.D. Hecq (Hospital Pharmacy), Prof. Y. Horsmans (Gastroenterology), Prof. M. Lambert (General Internal Medicine), Prof. Ch. Lefebvre (General Internal Medicine), Prof. L. Mallet (Clinical Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Québec), Prof. C. Swine (Geriatry), Prof. F. Van Bambeke (Pharmacology)

Financing

• Public or non non-profit orgnizations:
  
• Université Catholique de Louvain
• Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique
• Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
• Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center
• Belgian Federal Public Service "Public Health"
  
  
• Industry and profit-making organizations
  • unrestricted funding (Mécénat):
    • Pharmacia & Upjohn, Amgen, Eli Lilly
  • contracted research
    • for educational activities : Bayer-Belgium
    • for drug evaluation and analysis: Bristol-Myers/Squibb