5th January 2024

Anticipatory Prescribing

Some medications are commonly prescribed towards the end of life. These help manage common end-of-life signs and symptoms, such as agitation and anxiety, breathlessness, nausea and vomiting, respiratory secretions and pain. They may also be prescribed for specific scenarios, such as catastrophic haemorrhage or seizure. Medication type, dose and route should be decided upon based on each individual patient, taking into account their preferences, level of arousal and their ability to swallow safely. In the last few days of life, medicines may be administered subcutaneously and continuous medication can be given via a syringe driver.