Pharmacy Care Solutions

Other patients may prefer medications prepared in a flavored troche form. A
troche is placed between the cheek and gum and melts slowly, releasing the
drug inside the mouth where it is absorbed through the many blood vessels
under the tongue.

Medications may also be prepared as suppositories, oral suspensions or even as
lollipops.

Strength Variations
In hospice care, it remains vitally important to relieve as much pain as possible
without causing sedation and adverse side effects. Since patients vary in size
and tolerance, commercial medications may not be available in an appropriate
strength.

Hospice Compounding

~ custom-prepared compassion ~

Along with physician services to attend to a patient's medical needs, the skills
and caring of a knowledgeable pharmacist are necessary to provide symptom
control and pain relief in an end-of-life situation. Pharmacy compounding is
quickly becoming a practical and compassionate way to meet these needs.

The Compounding Solution
Why should you ask your physician or pharmacist about compounded
medications for hospice care? Because compounding is especially suited to the
idea of providing personalized, individual care to a dying patient.

Pharmacists play a major role in the hospice environment, as caring for the
hospice patient generally centers around providing comfort by using
pharmaceuticals to relieve and manage symptoms.
Every individual is unique, and experiences during the end of life can vary from
person to person. However, common symptoms experienced during end-of-life
care include pain, nausea/vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, bedsores and anxiety
— all of which are often best dealt with through compounding.

By working closely with a compounding pharmacist, a physician can prescribe a
regimen of care which is tailored to the hospice patient's individual needs.
Combined Formulations
Ordinarily, the first symptom requiring relief is pain, and managing it often
requires medication around the clock. Compounding pharmacists can often

provide specialized medications for patients who suffer from acute and chronic pain.

To keep the administration of medicine to a minimum, unique drug combinations can be prepared to allow
patients to continue to live normally within their pain threshold.

Alternate Dosages
Many hospice patients have trouble taking medications in traditional dosage forms. In such cases,
compounding can provide a more appropriate method of administering medicine. For instance, a patient who
is unable to swallow may be given transdermal gels which carry medication through the skin to help provide
relief.