title: Development of a hospice formulary for psychotropic medications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors describe the concept of hospice formulary as is utilized at the hospice service of a university medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A periodic review of hospice formulary, focusing on psychotropic medications and delirium prevention, was accomplished in 2006. This effort represents a multidisciplinary effort among hospice nursing, internal medicine, and psychiatry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An updated formulary adopting contemporary psychopharmacologic best practices was produced and implemented along with targeted in-service training to nurse clinicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The modern hospice formulary offers opportunities to offer state-of-the-art psychopharmacological care and minimization of delirium through judicious use of psychopharmacological treatments for the psychiatric comorbidities common in terminally ill patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California 95817, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barnhorst
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macmillan
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D005572:Formularies, Hospital as Topic; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs