title: 50 practical medication tips at end of life.
abstract: Patients with a life-limiting illness frequently experience pain and other symptoms. It is important to pay close attention when medication therapy is used to manage these symptoms. Occasionally, practitioners need to be creative in selecting, dosing, administering, and discontinuing medications at the end of life because of the patient's changing health care needs. This article offers practical end-of-life medication tips including, but not limited to, medication administration; guidance on how to increase and decrease doses; medication selection for difficult-to-treat patients; alternative dosage formulations; routes of medication administration; debridement medication regimens; and appropriate drug therapy selection.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Hospice Pharmacist, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. mmcphers@rx.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Mary Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004356:Drug Storage; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D059408:Pain Management / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004304:Dosage Forms; D055553:Prescription Drugs