September 10, 2024
As hospices operate with limited funds, minimizing drug costs is important. Therapeutic substitution, where one drug is replaced with a less expensive drug, is one tool to help with this. One substitution we’re occasionally asked about is using valproic acid (VPA) (Depakene) in place of divalproex sodium (Depakote). VPA costs about half as much as […]
Read MoreAugust 21, 2024
Originally published on HospiceNews.com, OnePoint Vice President – Client Services Kenny Judd sat down with Hospice News to discuss discuss the state of hospice pharmacy service nationally, the challenges local providers face in caring for this unique patient population and the role which OnePoint plays in ensuring providers have a reliable, sustainable community-based and hospice-dedicated […]
Read MoreJuly 8, 2024
The oral route is by far the most popular and convenient means of drug administration, even in the hospice setting. However, for various reasons (e.g., dysphagia, nausea / vomiting, bowel obstruction, obtundation) as many as 70% of hospice patients will need their medications to be administered by non-oral routes.a-c Rectal drug administration is probably done […]
Read MoreApril 10, 2024
Occasionally, hospice clinicians may encounter patients with enteral feeding tubes (FTs). These tubes are used to provide enteral nutrition (EN) in individuals with a functioning GI tract who are otherwise unable to be fed orally.1 There are numerous types of tubes out there which are generally classified by insertion site and where in the body […]
Read MoreFebruary 6, 2024
If you’ve ever used software that checks for drug interactions, you’ve come across alerts regarding QT interval prolongation. But you work in hospice…are these still significant and what can you do about them? Let’s start with some basics1 -6: QT interval – a measure of ventricular repolarization in the heart QTc interval – QT interval […]
Read MoreAugust 1, 2023
Known for their role in managing diabetes, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors like Farxiga (dapagliflozin) and Jardiance (empagliflozin) also improve symptoms, function, and quality of life in patients with heart failure (HF).1 So it’s no surprise that they were added to the latest HF guidelines, even for patients without diabetes.1 The 2022 American Heart Association […]
Read MoreJune 27, 2023
Loop diuretics are essential medications for managing fluid overload and edema caused by conditions like heart failure, liver disease, or chronic kidney disease.1-4 They work by decreasing renal sodium and chloride reabsorption with the end result being water excretion through urination (diuresis).1-3 You can learn more about loop diuretic pharmacology here. By far, furosemide is […]
Read MoreMay 23, 2023
Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are popular among patients because they’re readily available and perceived to be safe since they can be purchased over-the-counter without a prescription.1 While these products are relatively easy to obtain, they aren’t regulated like traditional medications. Importantly, CAM manufacturers aren’t generally required to demonstrate that products are safe or effective.1,2 […]
Read MoreApril 7, 2023
The oral route is by far the most common way medications are administered – even in the hospice setting. However, it’s not always feasible for a number of reasons – dysphagia, nausea/vomiting, or obtundation to name a few.1,2 Administering drugs subcutaneously (SC/SQ) is one method used to overcome patients’ inability to swallow and absorb oral […]
Read MoreFebruary 22, 2023
One of the problems with starting traditional antidepressants in hospice patients is that they might take too long to start working (typically a few weeks) and/or reach their full effect (up to 8 weeks). To get around this, some hospice clinicians will prescribe methylphenidate or ketamine to treat depression more rapidly; the onsets are about […]
Read More