The effect of palliative care consults on deprescribing in palliative cancer patients.

Abstract

92 Background: The transition from active cancer treatment to palliative care often results in a shift in drug risk-benefit assessment which requires the deprescribing of various medications. In addition, a change in patients’ goals of care (GOC) necessitates the alteration of drug therapy which includes both deprescribing and the addition of medications intended to improve quality of life. Depending on a patient’s GOC, a medication can be considered as inappropriate. Methods: The study was a one year retrospective database review and included cancer patients seen by the PCC team at the University of Alberta Hospital. Primary Objective: Comparison between potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) prior to the palliative care consult (PCC) versus after the PCC. Secondary objective: Association between PIMs and GOC. The OncPal guidelines were used to identify and determine the number of PIMs prior to the PCC and after the PCC. Results: The reduction in PIMs prior to PCC versus after the PCC was 49% and was statistically significant (p < 0.001), demonstrating the PCC has a positive significant impact on deprescribing PIMs. For our secondary outcome, an overall decrease in PIMs was observed with the changes of GOC. This decrease in PIMs associated with GOC although not statistically significant, demonstrates that one of the benefits of a PCC is the GOC conversation. Conclusions: Deprescribing in palliative cancer patients can benefit patients by reducing their pill burden, decrease potentially side effects, and potentially decrease healthcare costs. This study shows the positive impact a PCC has on deprescribing and reassessing GOC. Furthermore, this study reveals the importance of using guidelines for deprescribing in palliative oncology and brings to light other medications that may be considered PIMs.