Funding Paper: Digitalising Hospital Medication Management Pathways Across Europe
11 August 2025
As a part of the EPACT Alliance, EHMA is proud to announce the publication of a funding paper that sets out a roadmap for the digitalisation of hospital medication management pathways across Europe.
Hospital medication management processes, from ordering and storing to dispensing and monitoring medicines, remain largely manual across many European health systems. This leads to inefficiencies, an elevated risk of errors, and significant administrative burdens for healthcare professionals. With an estimated 80 million serious medication errors occurring annually across Europe, the need for smarter, safer, and more efficient systems is urgent. Every day that passes without change puts patient safety and healthcare worker wellbeing at risk.
Transforming pathways through digitalisation
This policy paper demonstrates how digitalisation can directly improve patient safety, reduce medication errors, enhance operational efficiency, and support the wellbeing of healthcare workers. It also outlines the key EU funding instruments available to support this transformation, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), EU4Health Programme, Digital Europe Programme, and Cohesion Policy Funds.
Building resilience for the future
The funding paper builds on recent EU initiatives, including the Critical Medicines Act, which aims to improve access, availability, and affordability of essential medicines. It also draws on case studies from Italy, Germany, Ireland, and Ukraine, showcasing best practices in strategic investment and implementation for modernising hospital systems.
A collaborative effort for systemic change
The funding paper is part of the ongoing work of the EPACT Alliance – a coalition of 23 NGOs representing patients, healthcare professionals, and industry, launched in 2022 under EHMA’s leadership. The Alliance continues to advocate for investment in digital infrastructure to build safer, more resilient hospital systems across Europe.
A collaborative effort for systemic change
Digitalising medication management pathways is not a long-term ambition, it is an immediate necessity. The EPACT Alliance calls on EU institutions, national governments, and hospital leaders to prioritise this transformation by:
- Securing investment through existing EU funding programmes to modernise hospital systems.
- Embedding digital medication management into the European Health Data Space to ensure seamless sharing of treatment data across the continuum of care.
- Adopting and scaling proven best practices to reduce errors and free healthcare workers to focus on patient care.
By acting decisively today, Europe can reduce preventable harm, strengthen health resilience, and create a hospital environment that puts patient safety at its core.
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What our Members say
I have been active in EHMA since the first years of the '90s and I have seen its evolution from a small association of members interested in sharing knowledge on health management practices to the current status of reference and advisory key player for EU, health systems and organisations, stakeholders associations, industry and universities. EHMA is now a unique knowledge hub, policy advisor, community of practice and network of best in class organisations involved in health policy and management. A place where health managers can build their competences, policy-makers and stakeholder associations envision how to implement and sustain change through health management, industry leaders understand how to engage more effectively with health organisations and systems. The right place to nurture and grow health management capabilities and capacity for every stakeholder of health systems.
Prof. Federico Lega, University of Milan, Italy
Health management has a crucial function in shaping public health and health system challenges. The Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria had success in collaborating with EHMA on EU-funded projects that has resourced us to create new health management competencies for the future workforce. In addition to all classical definitions, health management is a science dealing with individuals, groups, and society at large. It is an art contributing to the beauty of our lives and an interactive communication process at all levels of institutions and human energy. I have also had the pleasure to chair the South Eastern European Special Interest Group which gives members a space to discuss and tools to address how health systems are managed in our regions.
Prof. Todorka Kostadinova, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria
I enjoy the high level of interaction and engagement in EHMA’s activities, in particular during the annual conference where the panel discussions are rich and well prepared. As a hospital manager and professor of health management, EHMA motivates and inspires me to be creative. You go back home feeling energised from seeing old friends and making new connections, as well as being convinced of serving as EHMA’s ambassador. It’s a strong feeling of interdisciplinary engagement, but it also feels like being part of family-like community.
Prof. Sandra C. Buttigieg, University of Malta, Malta
EHMA is a pre-eminent organisation for everyone working in planning, managing and delivering health services across Europe. As a long standing member of EHMA I have always been impressed by the vibrant community of managers, researchers and academics it has created and by the many opportunities for sharing knowledge and funding opportunities it has brought to its members. Its international scope is impressive and its impact is often felt in management and research across European and national health systems.
Prof. Axel Kaehne, Edge Hill University, UK
Health workforce has become more essential in operating, managing and maintaining health systems lately, particularly in crisis and emergency situations. European healthcare professions and the workforce need to be high on the agenda of managers and decision makers. The Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University in Hungary is a longstanding EHMA member, because it connects us with collaborators and experts, with whom we can have complex debates, from whom we can learn and at the end find solutions in various challenging fields of healthcare management.
Dr Eszter Kovács, Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University, Hungary
As a hospital administrator and health management professor, I see on a daily basis that the healthcare challenges require talented and skilled managers to transform it. the EHMA membership has been beneficial to bring healthcare management research and education to the demanding healthcare services world, promoting healthcare management competencies and knowledge creation.
Dr Alexandre Lourenco, APAH - Association of Portuguese Hospital Managers, Portugal
Many healthcare systems in Europe and beyond are facing similar challenges which require innovative and creative solutions. EHMA’s annual conference, webinars, Programme Directors’ group and other activities and resources provide incredible opportunities for networking, connecting and sharing experiences. A distinct feature of EHMA is the diversity of members with representation from many countries, sectors and different communities of practice – academic, policy-makers, practitioners, managers, leaders and students. The annual conference is a highlight in the calendar year, offering a friendly, fun and learningful environment for emerging and established members to engage, collaborate and meet up with old and new friends. I am proud to be a member of the EHMA Board.
Prof. Ann Mahon, University of Manchester, UK
Society evolution, pandemics and ageing modify health needs. So, health policies and services are to change dramatically. EHMA, through webinars, workshops and annual conference provides an excellent insight to a professional changing world, favouring closeness to management innovation and the protagonists of these changes. As a primary care services’ manager, participating in EHMA activities is really worth it and allows to involve oneself in the innovation processes.
Dr Antoni Peris Grao, Consorci Castelldefels Agents de Salut (CASAP), Spain