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Introduction WHO-HIPP rapidly implemented measures to assess the situation and address the spread of COVID-19 inside European prisons. Specific tools included preparedness guidance to support Member States (MS) in, preventing and controlling COVID-19, factsheets directed at people living in prison (PiP) and at their visitors, checklists directed at prison administrators to self-assess their compliance with recommendations and a surveillance dataset. Methods The WHO-HIPP Surveillance Dataset comprises variables enabling the extraction of epidemiological indicators. This data has been collected weekly since May 2020. Results and discussion Data from 21 MS or regions has been obtained, 14 of which submitted national data regularly, enabling the observation of time trends. Ten MS experienced outbreaks at some moment, during which the ration of infection rate in PiP/general population varied widely (Median=1.58 {1.01-4.09}), highlighting the effect of congregate living on amplified transmission. Prevention and control measures in prisons were implemented in several MS. Eleven MS decreased occupancy rate to varying degrees (0.1-7.3%), while three increased population. Baseline occupancy rate of countries experiencing outbreaks was considerably higher than of those remaining controlled during all period. Among recent measures, seven MS have an established testing strategy, varying in methods, including rapid, polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) and sewage testing. While some MS have not been yet able to include PiP in the national COVID-19 vaccination roll-outs, seven are progressing, albeit coverage is highly heterogenous (0.1-34.5%). Conclusions Even though our data represents a self-selected sample, it suggests the level of infections in prison is, in some cases and periods, double of that observed in the general population. Strategies adopted to prevent and control the spread of infections vary widely in Europe.

Background The International Pharmacists for Anticoagulation Care Taskforce (iPACT) is an expert group committed to enhancing the key role that pharmacists play in anticoagulation management. Pharmacists are ideally suited to monitor patients in this therapeutic area, but an assessment of their knowledge in providing consultations has not been formally evaluated. Purpose The purpose of this needs assessment survey was to identify self-reported gaps in competences and confidence among practising pharmacists in the area of anticoagulation; to identify variances in confidence levels between community and hospital pharmacists; and to examine areas of anticoagulation with varying needs. Material and methods An electronic link to the needs assessment survey was distributed to the pharmacists in the participating countries via their respective professional organisations or colleges. Countries with adequate response rates included in the preliminary statistical analysis were Canada, France, Portugal, Croatia, Brazil, Ireland, Hungary, New Zealand and the UK. Results 1692 pharmacists completed the survey. The distribution of respondents were Canada 357 (21.1%), France 304 (18.0%), New Zealand 237 (14.0%), Portugal 180 (10.6%), Croatia 180 (10.6%), Hungary 171 (10.1%), Brazil 76 (4.5%), Ireland 68 (4.0%) and the UK 60 (3.5%). Community pharmacists had the highest participation 759 (44.9%) while outpatient hospital pharmacists, inpatient hospital pharmacists working on wards and other practice sites represented 133 (7.9%), 339 (20.0%) and 461 (27.2%) of the population, respectively. Overall, pharmacists were less confident in providing information on DOACs compared with VKA (83.4% vs 55.5%; p 0.005) but significantly higher when comparing those pharmacists working on inpatient hospital wards (mean score=24.0 vs 26.0; p 0.005). More than 90% of pharmacists reported they would like additional education in anticoagulation with personalised e-learning as the preferred source. Conclusion These results highlight the apparent lack of confidence by both community and hospital pharmacists when discussing anticoagulation, particularly DOACs. Future continuing education programmes should be developed on electronic platforms focusing on practical clinical themes that apply across all settings. No conflict of interest

International audience; Patients who receive intravenous (IV) medications as a rule should be given special attention. As pharmacists we want to assist to optimize the treatment and prevent medication errors. Intravenous drug administration is complex and subject to iatrogenic risk. The choice of the appropriate medical devices is therefore important in each infusion setup. By his knowledge of injectable drugs and medical devices, the pharmacist can contribute to the selection of appropriate tools to control infusion rates, avoid drug incompatibilities, container–content interactions, prevent allergies or infectious complications, and improve the patient comfort.