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Why are you giving these drugs to my mom? Exploring off label prescribing for palliative patients.

Serena Rix

Objectives

1: Define off-label prescribing and its prevalence in palliative care. 2: Identify medications frequently prescribed off label. 3: Explain the rationale for off label prescribing to colleagues, patients, and families.

Brief Abstract

It is estimated that 35% of medications used in palliative care are prescribed off label. In this presentation we will explore the reasons for this phenomenon and review the medications commonly used in this way, along with the risks, benefits, and legal implications, using a patient case to demonstrate. Improved understanding of off label prescribing will allow health care practitioners to assess prescribing decisions and confidently relay this information to colleagues patients and families.

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