HOSPICE COMPOUNDING

Bringing Dignity and Personalization to End-of-Life Care

The necessity for compassionate hospice care has become more and more pertinent as our elderly population continues to grow.  One of the premises of hospice care is the belief that every individual has the right to die as pain-free as possible and with dignity.  Hospice care is provided right at home in many cases with a loved one serving as the primary caregiver.  As well as physician services, the knowledge and skills of a pharmacist are needed to help provide symptom control and pain relief assistance in end-of-life situations.  Pharmaceutical compounding services such as those provided here at Medical Center Pharmacy, is a practical and caring way to meet those requirements.  Compounding is the art and science of preparing customized medications for each patient’s unique needs and proves to be extremely valuable to those under hospice care.

The Compounding Solution

Compounding is ideally suited for providing personalized, individualized care for dying patients.  Compounding pharmacists at Medical Center play a central role in hospice care, as the hospice patient environment usually centers on supplying comfort through pharmaceuticals to help relieve painful symptoms.

Just as each person is unique, experiences during end of life can differ from person to person.  Often, some frequent symptoms experienced by patients are pain, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, bedsores, anxiety, depression, and constipation.  All of these symptoms can be dealt with through pharmaceutical compounding by working with a compounding pharmacist at Medical Center; a doctor can prescribe a regimen of treatment tailor-made for the hospice patient. 

Combined Formulations

Pain can be a major factor for the hospice patient and managing it often requires around the clock dosing.  Compounding pharmacists at Medical Center Pharmacy can frequently provide special formulations for those patients who are suffering.  To keep administration of medicine to a minimum, in order to allow patients to continue living as normally as possible, unique drug combinations can be prepared.

Alternate Dosages

Hospice patients commonly have difficulty taking medications in commercially available forms.  When this occurs, compounding pharmacists at Medical Center can supply a more appropriate method of administration by altering the dosage form.  An example of this would be a patient who is unable to swallow – this patient could be given transdermal gels, which delivers the drug through the skin to give relief.  Others may prefer medications that are compounded into a flavored troche form or lozenge.  A troche is simply placed inside the cheek and gum to be melted slowly and absorbed by the body through the many blood vessels under the tongue.  Some other dosage form alternatives include suppositories, oral suspensions and even popsicles or lollipops.  Also, several medications can be combined at times to make administration a lot less stressful and more comfortable.

Strength Variations

With hospice care, it is very important to aid in the relief of pain symptoms without causing sedation or other adverse side effects.  Often commercially available medications do not have an appropriate strength and through compounding at Medical Center, the physician and pharmacist can design a medication to the exact dosage needed by the patient.

The challenges and rewards of caring for a loved one as a hospice patient can be improved through the relationship of a compassionate physician and knowledgeable compounding pharmacist.

Ask your doctor, hospice provider or call Medical Center Pharmacy today at (423)476-5548 to find about the benefits of personalized compounding in caring for your loved one.