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National survey of drug use in palliative care
Citation
Drummond, S and Peterson, GM and Galloway, J and Keefe, P, National survey of drug use in palliative care, Palliative Medicine, 10, (2) pp. 119-124. ISSN 0269-2163 (1996) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright © 1996 SAGE Publications
Official URL: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/authors/journal/permissi...
DOI: doi:10.1177/026921639601000206
Abstract
The objective was to compile data on therapeutic approaches employed in palliative care in Australia, including practices relating to combining drugs in syringe drivers for administration by subcutaneous infusion. A questionnaire, with a reply-paid envelope, was sent to 130 teaching hospitals and palliative care services throughout Australia. Ninety-six responses were received (74% response rate). Drugs commonly administered in palliative care included oral morphine (97% of respondents), subcutaneous morphine (76%), oral metoclopramide (82%), subcutaneous metoclopramide (41%), oral dexamethasone (70%), oral haloperidol (50%), subcutaneous haloperidol (43%), oral prochlorperazine (47%), oral codeine (38%) and subcutaneous midazolam (36%). Drugs frequently combined in syringe drivers for subcutaneous infusion included morphine plus metoclopramide (67%), morphine plus midazolam (66%), and all three of these drugs (35%). Only 48% of the palliative care services had a policy on combining drugs in syringe drivers for administration by subcutaneous infusion and 34% had an upper limit on the number of drugs combined in syringe drivers. Twenty-nine per cent of respondents had encountered problems (e.g. incompatibilities) when combining drugs in syringe drivers for administration by subcutaneous infusion. This study has revealed considerable variation in the practice of therapeutics and the combining of drugs in syringe drivers for administration by subcutaneous infusion in palliative care.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | drug utilisation prescriptions drug palliative treatment |
| Research Division: | Biomedical and Clinical Sciences |
| Research Group: | Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences |
| Research Field: | Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Other health |
| Objective Field: | Other health not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Peterson, GM (Professor Gregory Peterson) |
| ID Code: | 7497 |
| Year Published: | 1996 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 25 |
| Deposited By: | Pharmacy |
| Deposited On: | 1996-08-01 |
| Last Modified: | 2011-06-02 |
| Downloads: | 1 View Download Statistics |
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