Written by Dr Paul Tait (Senior Program Manager, SA Virtual Care Service) and Leah Robinson (Project Manager, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia).

Pharmacists have an invaluable opportunity as medication experts to connect with individuals needing palliative care, their caregivers, and other healthcare providers. However, the evidence shows that with over 37,000 Australian pharmacists, many require support in engaging with palliative care due to various challenges, such as geographic distance from the care team and a need to understand the critical indicators of deterioration.

In 2019, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) commissioned the electronic continuing professional education (eCPE) on Palliative Care. While the product was evidence-based and valuable, it was criticised for its focus on palliative care concepts upfront, relegating the pharmacist’s role in managing medications to the latter part of the document.

Last year, the Tasmanian Government funded the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) to update and improve the eCPE Palliative Care. The aim was to update the 2019 version while addressing pharmacists’ role upfront.

In late 2023, Leah Robinson, a Project Manager from the PSA, approached Dr Paul Tait to lead the revision of the eCPE Palliative Care. It was a gratifying opportunity to incorporate learnings from Dr Tait’s 2022 PhD thesis: Pharmaceutical Care of the Dying. Indeed, many elements, such as the pharmacist’s role in aged care and the role of the caregiver in managing medicines in the home environment, were strengthened by completing the thesis on the topic. Additionally, it acknowledges that the delivery of end-of-life care has evolved since 2019, and there were opportunities to incorporate issues such as telehealth and voluntary assisted dying.

Palliative Care – Essential CPE was officially launched on the PSA portal on Friday 24 May 2024, during the 2024 National Palliative Care Week, signifying a significant step forward in engaging pharmacists in palliative care.

This eCPE helps guide pharmacists in navigating all aspects of palliative care, from advance care planning through to bereavement support. By completing this activity, pharmacists can feel more confident to identify people approaching the end of their lives and be able to utilise a range of resources in their practice including clinical guidelines, government programs and national tools. They may also better support people with palliative care needs and their carers. This education will also assist pharmacists to learn strategies for effective communication with individuals requiring palliative care support and their carers to help ensure a person-centred approach to care. The PSA believes pharmacists’ skills in palliative care can lead to developing valuable professional experiences.

In the first three months, 564 pharmacists have enrolled in the eCPE Palliative Care activity via the PSA portal. Of these, 243 completed the program, including an assessment with multiple-choice questions. Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with one participant even recommending it to paramedics interested in palliative care, a testament to the program’s usefulness.

We are proud to make the PSA eCPE Palliative Care resource available online, free for all members and non-members to access through this link.