Development of a hospice formulary for psychotropic medications.
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.
Barnhorst
Amy
A
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California 95817, USA.
Bourgeois
James A
JA
Macmillan
Jack
J
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*
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs