Background:
Patients receiving end-of-life care at home often face significant challenges in accessing, administering, and understanding their medications following discharge from hospital. These challenges are particularly pronounced for patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. To address this, a specialist pharmacist at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse (COBL)—a quaternary oncology comprehensive cancer centre in Sydney, servicing patients across all metropolitan and regional districts—developed a home palliative care pharmacy guide tailored for caregivers.
Methods:
This initiative focused on simplifying and standardising medication management for caregivers supporting patients with cancer-related palliative needs at home. Developed in collaboration with the specialist palliative care team, the guide incorporated consumer feedback from caregivers and clinicians. It provided accessible information on recognising breakthrough symptoms, practical medication administration strategies, and navigating medication access across hospital and community pharmacies. Emphasis was placed on common medications such as opioids, antiemetics, and sedatives, including PBS status and supply planning. A pre and post counselling questionnaire was conducted, to capture improvement in their confidence of managing medications at home and further to allow continued feedback on possible challenges to CALD community face on transition home.
Results:
Initial consumer feedback indicated that the guide increased caregiver confidence, reduced anxiety, and improved symptom management consistency. The guide also identified local pharmacies that stock essential palliative medications, helping to bridge the gap between inpatient discharge and home-based care. Recognising the diversity of COBL’s patient population, there are ongoing efforts to translate the guide into multiple languages to support CALD families and improve equitable access.
Conclusion:
This pharmacist-led, consumer-informed initiative demonstrates the impact of targeted medication education tools in improving safety, comfort, and accessibility in home-based oncology palliative care. With planned translation into multiple languages, the guide represents a scalable model for enhancing care continuity and supporting caregivers in diverse communities across Sydney and beyond.