Palliative medications: what works in practice for symptom control?

Palliative medications: what works in practice for symptom control?
Nursing Times, authors from Marie Curie Palliative Care Research and University College London, UK; by Sally-Anne Francis, Eunice Sirkett, Emily Anderson and Sarah Yardley; 10/14/24 
This article explores the real-life challenges of managing symptoms with medication at the end of life. ... Key points:

• The demand for palliative care services will increase as the population ages
• The multi-step processes in palliative medication management are complex
• It is important that all nurses understand best practice in all steps of medication management
• Bringing the patient and family into the palliative care team is a key aspect of managing symptoms
• Collaborative working across system boundaries leads to reduced workload and greater effectiveness

Editor's note: Calling all non-clinical executives: read and develop your understanding of "why" medications matter. This article provides practical, user-friendly information for non-clinical executives who make decisions related to ensuring effective management of symptoms with medication. For example: staffing, on-call, contracts with pharmacies, EMR technology, systems and processes for timely response, website/caregiver information, more.