Palliative Care Medications
Question# 795
Can you administer palliative medications to a palliative pt. if transport to hospital has been initiated? Does this require a patch? Is this applicable for any/all palliative meds or only select ones?
Can you patch to administer palliative meds to a patient on the 911 side who isn't palliative.
Can you patch to administer palliative meds to a patient on the 911 side who isn't palliative.
Answer:
As it currently stands, the palliative care directives do not live within the ALS PCS, and while there is ongoing work at the provincial level to embed them, they will ultimately become auxiliary directives, which not all services choose to implement.
Paramedics have a working knowledge of pharmacology, and given that, should be able to use these medications for their patients - a position we agree with. We’re hoping these new changes will be approved and make it into upcoming iterations of the ALS PCS. In the interim, you are welcome to discuss utilization of these medications with the BHP if you feel mainstream interventions are insufficient and the palliative options would fill a gap in patient-centered care.
If a palliative patient requires transport to hospital or is being transferred to another location, we encourage you to continue providing a patient centered approach to care and patch for palliative medications as oppose to switching for example, continuing hydromorphone versus switching to morphine/fentanyl.
A gentle reminder that as it currently stands, all palliative patients require a patch for onsite confirmation as there is no longer any "registration process."
Paramedics have a working knowledge of pharmacology, and given that, should be able to use these medications for their patients - a position we agree with. We’re hoping these new changes will be approved and make it into upcoming iterations of the ALS PCS. In the interim, you are welcome to discuss utilization of these medications with the BHP if you feel mainstream interventions are insufficient and the palliative options would fill a gap in patient-centered care.
If a palliative patient requires transport to hospital or is being transferred to another location, we encourage you to continue providing a patient centered approach to care and patch for palliative medications as oppose to switching for example, continuing hydromorphone versus switching to morphine/fentanyl.
A gentle reminder that as it currently stands, all palliative patients require a patch for onsite confirmation as there is no longer any "registration process."