Community pharmacists: A forgotten resource for palliative care

Tait, PA; Gray, J; Hakendorf, P; Morris, B; Currow, DC; Rowett, DS

Community pharmacists: A forgotten resource for palliative care

Tait, PA Gray, J Hakendorf, P Morris, B Currow, DC

Rowett, DS

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, 2013, 3 (4), pp. 436 - 443
Issue Date:: 2013-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Tait, PA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Gray, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hakendorf, P	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Morris, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Currow, DC https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1988-1250	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rowett, DS	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, 2013, 3 (4), pp. 436 - 443	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	2045-435X	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/117427
dc.description.abstract	Timely access to medicines within the community is important for palliative patients where their preferred place of care is the home environment. The objective of this observational study is to establish baseline data to quantify the issue of poor access to medicines for symptom control in the last few days of life. The list of 13 medicines was generated from medicine use within a metropolitan palliative care unit. A survey was designed to determine which of these 13 medicines community pharmacies stock, the expiry date of this stock, awareness of palliative care patients by community pharmacists and basic demographic characteristics of the community pharmacies. Surveys were distributed, by post, to all community pharmacies in South Australia. The response rate was 23.7%, and was representative of all socioeconomic areas. Each pharmacy stocked a median of 3 medicines (range 0-12) with 1 in 8 pharmacies having none of the 13 medicines listed in the survey. When the data was combined to identify the range of medicines from all pharmacies within a geographical postcode region, the median number of medicines increased to 5 medicines per postcode. Just over 1 in 5 pharmacies reported learning about the palliative status of a patient through another health practitioner. Community pharmacies remain an underused resource to support timely access to medicines for community-based palliative patients. Palliative care services and government agencies can develop new strategies for better access to medicines that will benefit community patients and their carers.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1136/bmjspcare-2012-000440	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Analgesics, Opioid	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Palliative Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Terminal Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Surveys	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cohort Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Interdisciplinary Communication	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cooperative Behavior	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Community Pharmacy Services	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Resources	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Services Accessibility	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	England	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Prescription Drugs	en_US
dc.title	Community pharmacists: A forgotten resource for palliative care	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/IMPACCT
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	3	en_US

Abstract:

Timely access to medicines within the community is important for palliative patients where their preferred place of care is the home environment. The objective of this observational study is to establish baseline data to quantify the issue of poor access to medicines for symptom control in the last few days of life. The list of 13 medicines was generated from medicine use within a metropolitan palliative care unit. A survey was designed to determine which of these 13 medicines community pharmacies stock, the expiry date of this stock, awareness of palliative care patients by community pharmacists and basic demographic characteristics of the community pharmacies. Surveys were distributed, by post, to all community pharmacies in South Australia. The response rate was 23.7%, and was representative of all socioeconomic areas. Each pharmacy stocked a median of 3 medicines (range 0-12) with 1 in 8 pharmacies having none of the 13 medicines listed in the survey. When the data was combined to identify the range of medicines from all pharmacies within a geographical postcode region, the median number of medicines increased to 5 medicines per postcode. Just over 1 in 5 pharmacies reported learning about the palliative status of a patient through another health practitioner. Community pharmacies remain an underused resource to support timely access to medicines for community-based palliative patients. Palliative care services and government agencies can develop new strategies for better access to medicines that will benefit community patients and their carers.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/117427