Palliative care

‘A wicked problem’: tackling variable access to urgent palliative care medicines

Despite national incentives and locally commissioned services designed to improve availability of critical end-of-life drugs from community pharmacies, access to urgent palliative care medicines remains a challenge.…

Supporting palliative and end-of-life care in Welsh community pharmacies: a pilot study

The demand for palliative and end-of-life care in Wales is projected to almost double by 2040, increasing from 25% to 47%​1​. This underscores the increasing importance of community pharmacies in supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses. Palliative and end-of-life care is vital because i…

Chief pharmaceutical officers say it is ‘entirely reasonable’ for pharmacists to take position on assisted dying bill

A joint statement warned that the outcome of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill must not undermine provision of good end-of-life care and work by palliative care clinicians.…

Pharmacists to improve provision of palliative care medicines under proposed five-year strategy

The Scottish government has set out plans to provide better access to high-quality palliative care by 2030, as well as the provision of clear medicines information for patients and their families.…

Call for papers: palliative and end-of-life care

The Pharmaceutical Journal would like to invite UK pharmacy professionals to let us know what they are doing in their local area to improve access to palliative and end-of-life care.…

Pharmacists should have right to choose whether to be involved in assisted dying, says RPS

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland wants to ensure that pharmacists are not compelled to support the assisted dying process if they have moral, ethical or religious objections to it.…

PJ view: Restore pharmacy opening hours to improve end-of-life care

With a fifth of pharmacies in England reducing opening hours to save their business, people nearing the end of their lives have been added to a growing list of patient groups bearing the brunt of pharmacy underfunding.…

Prostate cancer: recognition and diagnosis

An overview of prostate cancer for pharmacists, including early detection and prevention, testing and diagnosis.…

Controlled drug stock licensing is working against high-quality palliative care for care home patients

All care homes should be permitted to hold a stock of palliative care medicines, ensuring swift availability to in-need patients at the end of their lives.…

How palliative care pharmacists in community practice are improving access to medicines

Tarun Nayyar’s work as a pharmacist at Birmingham Hospice is enabling faster access to specialist medicines for palliative care patients at home.…