Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Australians with life-limiting conditions can, with appropriate support, have a home death, if that is their choice. General practitioners (GPs) are essential for coordinating care and managing symptoms. Necessary medicines must be quickly available to provide responsive symptom management in the terminal phase. GPs can facilitate prompt availability of medicines by working collaboratively with pharmacists who have a shared understanding of the required medicines. OBJECTIVE: This article explains the development of, and provides information about, the National Core Community Palliative Care Medicines List. DISCUSSION: A group of healthcare professionals with community palliative care expertise (Expert Group) compared the medicines to manage terminal phase symptoms against a set of criteria, choosing four core medicines based on their ability to manage symptoms, cost and ease of use. Creating a standardised National Core Community Palliative Care Medicines List supports clinical communication by providing an accepted baseline for symptom management; however, it should not replace communication between prescribers and pharmacists; rather, it should support collaborative practices.
Authors: Paul Tait, Kristen Aylmer, Louis Christie, Karen Cooper, Lee Fong, Chien-Che Lin, Anthony Marinucci, Kate Reed, Georgina Taylor, Megan Tremlett, Penelope Tuffin, Liz Reymond
Institutions: Flinders University, Flinders Medical Centre, Tasmanian Department of Health, Charles Sturt University, Queensland Health, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Austin Health, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA Country Health Service
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4414035698