Prescribing Resources

A range of resources are available to guide nurses as they support patients, carers and medical officers, when relating to palliative care issues.

Clinical resources (palliative)

• Therapeutic Guidelines – Palliative Care – an authoritative handbook for symptom management in palliative patients. It is available online in many organisations or can be purchased.
• The Australia and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM)

Clinical resources (general)

• Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FPM ANZCA) opioid calculator (also available as an App).
• The eviQ opioid calculator – provides clinicians with an online tool to support the accurate conversion of one opioid regimen to an equianalgesic dose of another. (Registration required)
• The Opioid Conversion Guidance Document, Safer Care Victoria, 2021.
• Australian Medicines Handbook – provides independent general prescribing information. It is available online in many organisations or can be purchased.

Medicine management

• The National Prescribing Service – This site provides information relating to the quality use of medications.
• Therapeutic Goods Administration – Agency responsible for regulating therapeutic goods including prescription medicines, vaccines, sunscreens, vitamins and minerals, medical devices, blood and blood products. Search the A to Z listing for specific information about the regulation of over-the-counter medicines, complementary medicines and the scheduling of medicines and poisons.
• palliAGED Symptom Management – a resource to guide evidence-based practice in the care of older people in the last days of their life (terminal phase).
• palliMEDS Developed by NPS MedicineWise for caring@home, familiarises primary care prescribers with eight palliative care medicines that have been endorsed by the Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM) for management of terminal symptoms. Also includes an opioid calculator tool.
• Sometimes people can deteriorate suddenly. The PBS prescriber bag list (96kb pdf) includes a number of medications that can be used to relieve symptoms in this situation if anticipatory medicines have not been arranged.
• Start with The caring@home National Core Community Palliative Care Medicines List.
• The Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits (PBS) website has the following links:
  • Pharmaceutical Benefits for Palliative Care
  • Prescribing Medicines – Information for PBS Prescribers
  • PBS safety net
• The ANZ College of Anaesthetists has a document: Use of “Off Label” or Drugs Beyond Licence in Pain Medicine (446kb pdf).
• The Syringe driver compatibility Guidance Document, Safer Care Victoria.
• The Palliative Sedation Guidance Document, Safer Care Victoria.
• The Anticipatory Medicines Guidance Document, Safer Care Victoria.

Information hotlines

To speak with an expert on medicines, call your local Medicines Information Service. These are usually located within the pharmacy department of your local hospital.