Interprofessional Collaboration Between a Multidisciplinary Palliative Care Team and the Team Pharmacist on Pain Management

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact on pain management by multidisciplinary palliative care team (mPCT) and the team pharmacist. Methods: Patients who were admitted to palliative care unit (PCU) for at least 7 days between April 2014 and December 2015 were included. The mPCT consisted of a physician, a pharmacist, nurses, and non-clinical support staff. The team was on charge of pain management of patients who were admitted to PCU. Pain intensity was assessed at 3 time points in each patient; 1 week before PCU admission (day À7), on the day of admission (day 0), and 1 week after admission (day 7) using 0 to 10 numerical rating scale (NRS). Analgesic use was evaluated with 6 categories based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Korean pain management guidelines. Pain intensity and analgesic use appropriateness were compared at day À7, day 0, and day 7 for the patients who were admitted to the PCU. Results: Pain intensity decreased significantly on day 7 of PCU admission compared to it on day 0 (NRS: 4.05 vs 2.66, P < .001). A significant negative correlation was found between pain intensity and the proper use of analgesics (r ¼-0.407; P < .001, r ¼-0.309; P ¼ .001, r ¼-0.241; P ¼ .009, on day À7, day 0, day 7, respectively). Conclusion: The mPCT contributed to the reduction of inappropriate use of analgesics and improved pain control. Pharmacist intervention appeared to have improved pain control in patients under palliative care. Each team member's role should be individualized and developed further.

International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) position statement: Role of the oncology pharmacy team in cancer care

“…Studies conducted globally have confirmed the benefit of the integration of the OPT as part the MHT within a variety of settings in improving overall patient care. 22–52…”

Trends in Published Palliative Care Research: A 15-Year Review

“…Secondary degrees were included for analysis for the members of the PC interdisciplinary team (physician/licensed independent practitioners [LIPs], nursing, social work, chaplain, therapy, pharmacy). 17,18…”

“…Secondary degrees were included for analysis for the members of the PC interdisciplinary team (physician/licensed independent practitioners [LIPs], nursing, social work, chaplain, therapy, pharmacy). 17,18 The primary professional degree was used for the final analysis in the following groupings: MD or equivalent ( The total number of studies for which the first authors' degree was available was 4875. All interdisciplinary degrees were represented in the first authorship except RT and SLP.…”

Reduced emergency room visits and improved medication adherence of an integrated oncology pharmaceutical care practice in China

“…They are also the principal investigators of the associated research studies. The economic and humanistic values of oncology pharmacy services have been well described [2][3][4][5][6][7][19][20][21][22] and the diagnostic value of the pharmacists' services in precision medicine with regard to training and implementation initiatives may be better evaluated.…”