Palliative Care
Pharmacies commissioned to provide this service stock a locally agreed list of medicines* and make a commitment to ensure that the users of the service have prompt access to these medicines, in response to the presentation of an NHS prescription, during the pharmacies’ contracted opening hours (pharmacy opening hours are available from the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy).
*Note – other pharmacies, (e.g. who are not commissioned to provide the Palliative Care Formulary Service), will also routinely stock many, if not all, of these drugs as part of their usual dispensary stock.
In the event of there being insufficient stock to fill an immediate need, pharmacies that are commissioned to provide the Palliative Care Formulary Service will liaise with another community pharmacy in the service and/or other local community pharmacies to try and find a pharmacy with sufficient in-date stock. If no further stock can be located the pharmacy will contact the prescriber to discuss a suitable alternative.
This service is commissioned across West Yorkshire by the regional NHS England (NHSE) Regional Area team. For details or queries about the service please contact NHSE.
Palliative Care SLA – April 2018 to March 2021 (Extended to 31st March 2023 – refer to extensions letter below)
Palliative Care Service Extension Letter – to March 2022
Palliative Care Service Extension Letter – to March 2023
Palliative Care Formulary 2022-23
Palliative Care – Revised Formulary (& Information for Health Care Professionals)
Pharmacies that Provide the Service
A list of pharmacies participating in the scheme is sent out by NHSE to key organisations before each Bank Holiday. Health professionals can also use the NHS Service Finder to identify which pharmacies provide the Palliative Care Service.
NHS Service Finder – https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-service-finder
Resources
Contact Details for Specialist Palliative Care Services
Briefing Note for Pharmacies Providing the Palliative Care Service
PharmOutcomes – Instructions for Use
Bulletins
Important Reminder for Palliative Care Pharmacies – May 2020
Change to Morphine Injection as First Line Opioid Analgesic across Primary and Secondary Care – Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield – 6th April 2020
Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation NHS Trust together with Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust have made the decision to make a change to use morphine injection as the first line opioid analgesic in palliative care across primary and secondary care from Monday 6th April 2020. More information can be found under the area headings below.
Calderdale
Morphine Switch Letter – April 2020
Guidance on Prescribing Anticipatory Drugs – April 2020
MidYorks Opioid Conversion Wheel
Kirklees
Morphine Switch Letter – April 2020
Guidance on Prescribing Anticipatory Drugs – April 2020
MidYorks Opioid Conversion Wheel
Wakefield
Morphine Switch Letter – April 2020
Guidance on Prescribing Anticipatory Drugs – April 2020
MidYorks Opioid Conversion Wheel
Palliative Care – General
The novel “wheel” or “spider diagram” format of this guideline was developed by St Gemma’s Hospice over 15 years ago, to support
- the safe conversion between different opioids
- enable the safe administration of the same opioid by a different route
- to calculate and check the accuracy of “PRN” doses of opioids for patients receiving regular opioids
St Gemma’s clinical team, including Professor Michael Bennett, St Gemma’s Professor of Palliative Medicine, have updated the guideline in line with current company data and seminal specialist palliative care resources.
Although the current (2006) version of the guideline was never formally distributed to non-specialist palliative care providers across Leeds, many have a copy and have found it a useful resource.
The updated 2016 guideline is now approved for use by both specialist and non-specialist palliative care use across Leeds, supported by a project led by the Leeds Palliative Care Managed Clinical Network (MCN).
It is expected that non-specialists will predominantly continue to use the guide as a checking tool. If any discrepancies or queries arise during this checking process the prescriber must be contacted.
Prescribers are responsible for their own decisions. It is imperative to read the notes on the right hand side of the document and seek specialist palliative care advice as needed.
The Leeds Opioid Conversion Guide For Adult Palliative Care Patients 2016 is available as a PDF document on:
- The Leeds Palliative Care Website: https://leedspalliativecare.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Leeds-Opioid-Conversion-Guide-For-Adult-Palliative-Care-Patients.pdf
- Leeds Health Pathways
- EPaCCS
PLEASE REPLACE ANY PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THE GUIDELINE WITH THIS 2016 UPDATE
Last Updated: 9th November 2022
