Hospice
is a term that refers to a place that provides competent and compassionate care
for those who are soon going to die. The beginnings of this kind of care
started during the time of the Crusaders when the Knights Hospitallers in
Jerusalem cared for ailing or dying pilgrims. Over time, these kinds of sights
have become increasingly more common, especially in recent years since with
increased medical knowledge, the dying process has become a more prolonged
process. Today, there are approximately 2,900 hospices in the US caring for
about 450,000 patients.
Hospice Patients
Facing
death is a disturbing process for many patients. It places an enormous amount
of stress both on the patient and their family members. Because of this,
hospices focus on providing these patients with a comprehensive care including
physical, social, spiritual, and emotional support. The Inland Compounding
Pharmacy assists hospices by proving treatments for their physical care. Some
of the most common symptoms experienced by hospice patients and the corresponding
treatments we compound for them include:
Pain/Neuropathy
Relieving pain is
usually the first symptom that hospice workers try to relieve. Proper pain
relief requires that the pain is properly assessed. The most common pain relieving medications
that we compound are topical NSAIDS.
Nausea/Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting
are symptoms that occur in about 60% of terminally ill cancer patients. To
treat these symptoms, we compound formulations containing haloperidol,
metoclopramide, domperidone, dexamethasone, or benzodiazepines such as
lorazepam or diazepam. Since oral medications can be difficult to take while
experiencing nausea/vomiting, we provide antiemetic suppositories as well as
transdermal medications.
Constipation
We compound a
bisacodyl in base A suppository that works faster than many other options to
relieve constipation.
Oral Hygiene
For oral hygiene,
we commonly compound pilocarpine to treat dry mouth, and we also make
mouthwashes; our most common mouthwash is a chlorhexidine rinse that is alcohol
free.
Decubitus Ulcers
A
treatment that we compound for ulcers and for other kinds of wounds is Wound-Be-Gone (non-prescription). We also compound a variety of wound gels.
At
the Inland Compounding Pharmacy, we understand that when a patient is
approaching death, it can be an extremely difficult time for them as well as
for their family. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have
so that we can help to make it as easy as possible.
ICP - Providing quality solutions with maximum benefits for a healthier you.
