Opioids at End of Life course
This session covers the use of the most effective analgesics available to us in one of the settings where they are most appropriate – at the end of life. Opioids have been in use longer than most other medicines and our knowledge of them continues to evolve. Although there are now concerns with their use in long term pain conditions, when used according to guidelines, they are appropriate for pain management at the end of life.
Objectives
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- State what palliative care offers
- Recognise the causes of cancer pain
- Describe how opioids are usually introduced in end of life care
- List the benefits of fentanyl
- State when opioid injections are indicated
- List the safety issues associated with opioid use
Margaret is lead palliative care pharmacist for Ashtons, supporting the clinical pharmacists who provide a service to the seven hospices served by Ashtons.
Prior to this Margaret was appointed as the first in-house pharmacist at St Christopher’s hospice and provided a clinical pharmacy service to the wards and homecare teams with support from the staff at Beckenham Beacon. She instigated a Pharmacy Interest Group which became the Medicines Optimisation group, a multi-disciplinary meeting overseeing governance and clinical aspects of medicines use.
She has contributed to publications including the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine. Margaret set up the Association of Palliative and Supportive Care Pharmacy, now a 200 strong organisation and affiliated partner with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and arranged their first dozen conferences
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