Multicentered Evaluation of Palliative Care Pharmacists' Interventions and Outcomes in California.

The palliative care (PC) pharmacist's role within PC teams is increasingly recognized with favorable outcomes being reported. Retrospective study evaluated hospitalized adults seen by PC pharmacists, as part of PC consultation team at three California institutions. The primary objective was to categorize pharmacists' interventions.

Safe and Appropriate Use of Methadone in Hospice and Palliative Care: Expert Consensus White Paper.

Methadone has several unique characteristics that make it an attractive option for pain relief in serious illness, but the safety of methadone has been called into question after reports of a disproportionate increase in opioid-induced deaths in recent years. The American Pain Society, College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and the Heart Rhythm Society collaborated to issue guidelines on best practices to maximize methadone safety and efficacy, but guidelines for the end-of-life scenario have not yet been developed. A panel of 15 interprofessional hospice and palliative care experts from the U.

Continuous Cardiac Inotropes in Patients With End-Stage Heart Failure: An Evolving Experience.

Heart failure (HF) experts recommend initiation of continuous inotrope therapy, such as milrinone or dobutamine, for clinically decompensating patients with stage D HF. Although originally intended to serve solely as a bridge to more definitive surgical therapies, more and more patients are receiving inotrope therapy for purely palliative purposes. In these cases, questions arise regarding care at the end of life.

Identification, assessment, and management of pain in patients with advanced dementia.

Patients with advanced dementia have a high symptom burden at end of life. Many of those with dementia have reports of symptoms similar to those without dementia, yet are treated less frequently. Pain is a prevalent symptom that can be underrecognized because of the ability of the patient to self-report.