Anticipatory Prescribing: information for patients and carers

This advice is sourced from Dr Ros Taylor a senior palliative physician

Q. What are the medicines that we have been given to keep at home and how do they work? 

It is essential to anticipate symptoms in advance and prescribe carefully to keep people safely at home in their final days.

Prescribing a small number of injections to cover common symptoms such as pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety and breathing problems is important.

They are very useful if someone is unable to swallow their medicines towards the end of life.

The intention is to relieve suffering not to hasten death.

Please see the leaflet from Harlington Hospice (see downloads) for further information.

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