Support for Patients, Families and Carers
Support with urgent palliative care needs outside normal hours, helping patients and their families access appropriate advice and medicines when they are needed.
Out-of-Hours Palliative Care
Palliative care focuses on improving comfort and quality of life for people living with a life-limiting illness.
When someone is receiving palliative or end-of-life care at home, symptoms can sometimes become difficult to manage, particularly outside normal GP or pharmacy opening hours.
Symptoms may include severe pain, agitation and other distressing symptoms that require urgent assessment and treatment. The aim is to help keep the person as comfortable as possible and support their family or carers during this difficult time.
NHS guidance recognises the importance of timely access to commonly prescribed palliative care medicines and recommends pharmacy teams either supplying medicines or helping patients access an appropriate pharmacy when medicines are not immediately available.
If symptoms are causing significant distress, it is important to seek advice from the healthcare professionals involved in the person’s care.
Depending on local arrangements and medicine availability, a pharmacy may:
✓ Dispense prescribed palliative care medicines
✓ Help with urgent prescriptions
✓ Check medicine availability
✓ Provide advice about medicines
✓ Liaise with healthcare professionals where appropriate
✓ Signpost patients, carers or healthcare professionals to an appropriate service if the required medicine is not available
They can assess the situation and advise where urgent medicines or clinical support can be obtained.
If you are caring for someone receiving palliative or end-of-life care and have questions about their medicines, our pharmacy team can help with appropriate advice and signposting.
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