This course is designed to provide pharmacy professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and manage medication-related issues in hospice and palliative care settings. The course will cover the philosophies and processes of hospice and palliative care, including the importance of patient-centered care and shared decision making. Pharmacists will learn to recognize end-of-life issues as they relate to medication appropriateness and the altered benefit-risk ratio of medications at the end of life. The course will cover strategies for facilitating shared decision making when evaluating changes in the drug regimen, taking into consideration the patient’s values, goals, and preferences. The course will also cover the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in hospice and palliative care, including the pharmacist’s role in medication management as part of the healthcare team. Participants will learn about the latest advances in hospice and palliative care medication management and how to apply this knowledge in clinical practice. Overall, this course will provide pharmacy professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high-quality, patient-centered care to patients in hospice and palliative care settings.  

This module is extracted from the Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP) Preparation Course. The content in this module provides current treatment guidelines for all populations and are not necessarily specific to geriatric care.