Palliative care patients need timely access to symptom control medicines to avoid unnecessary suffering or unnecessary transfers to hospital.

The new National Core Community Palliative Care Medicines List identifies four medicines for use with home-based palliative patients in the terminal phase who require urgent symptom relief.

Most common terminal symptoms in uncomplicated palliative care patients can be managed using medicines from the List.

The List, developed by caring@home with key national stakeholders, supports quality palliative care by improving access to medicines in the community.

What now:

• Prescribers should familiarise themselves with the new list.
• Community pharmacists should stock medicines on the list.
• State and Territory governments and local networks should consider aligning local lists to promote best-practice care.

More information from the caring@home website or download the list now:

caring@home Core Medicines List and Factsheet.pdf

This is significant, thank you to all involved.