{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T08:02:26Z","timestamp":1774944146735,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,30]],"date-time":"2024-08-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1724976000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"CIMAGO\u2014Center of Investigation on Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"]}]},{"name":"CIMAGO\u2014Center of Investigation on Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"]}]},{"name":"CIMAGO\u2014Center of Investigation on Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"]}]},{"name":"CIMAGO\u2014Center of Investigation on Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal","award":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"]}]},{"name":"Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"]}]},{"name":"Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"]}]},{"name":"Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal","award":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"]}]},{"name":"COMPETE-FEDER","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"]}]},{"name":"COMPETE-FEDER","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"]}]},{"name":"COMPETE-FEDER","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"]}]},{"name":"COMPETE-FEDER","award":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"]}]},{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia, I.P., within CINTESIS, R&amp;D Unit","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2013"]}]},{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia, I.P., within CINTESIS, R&amp;D Unit","award":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"]}]},{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia, I.P., within CINTESIS, R&amp;D Unit","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440"]}]},{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia, I.P., within CINTESIS, R&amp;D Unit","award":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/4255\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Appropriate pharmacological management is a cornerstone of quality in palliative care (PC), focusing on comfort and quality of life. Therapeutic review is crucial in PC, aiming to optimize symptom relief, reduce adverse effects, and manage drug interactions. This study aims to delve into the real-world pharmacological prescription practices within a Community Palliative Care Support Team (CPCST) in the northern region of Portugal, comparing practices at admission and at the last consultation before death. It is an observational, cross-sectional, retrospective study without intervention involving patients admitted to a CPCST in 2021. Data were obtained from clinical records, and the statistical analysis included descriptive and inferential measures. Sixty-four patients were included, with an average age of 77.34 years, referred mainly by a specialized Hospital Palliative Care Support Team (65.63%). Polypharmacy was present, with a significant increase in opioids, antipsychotics, prokinetics, antiemetics, antispasmodics, and local corticosteroids, and a reduction in drugs for peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux treatment, antithrombotics, hypolipidemics, antihypertensives, and antidiabetics, among others. The oral route was preferred, decreasing between the two analyzed moments (85.5% versus 49.1%). Pro re nata (PRN) medications increased significantly (p \u2264 0.001). The prescription profile reflects a focus on symptom relief. The deprescription of drugs for chronic comorbidities suggests adaptation to care goals. At the end of life, PRN medications increase significantly (1.34 versus 3.26, p \u2264 0.001), administered as needed to soothe fluctuating symptoms. The pharmacological classes that have significantly increased are relevant in alleviating common symptoms in PC. The use of alternative routes for medication administration increases as instability of the oral route occurs, leading to a reduction in orally administered medications. Among these alternatives, the subcutaneous route shows the largest increase. The findings underscore the importance of flexible and responsive medication strategies in end-of-life care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics16091152","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,2]],"date-time":"2024-09-02T03:45:21Z","timestamp":1725248721000},"page":"1152","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Pharmacological Prescription at the End of Life: Quality Assessment in the Transition of Care to a Community Palliative Care Support Team"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"In\u00eas","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Community Palliative Care Support Team Gaia, R. Bartolomeu Dias 316, 4430-043 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6623-7420","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugo","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Community Palliative Care Support Team Gaia, R. Bartolomeu Dias 316, 4430-043 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology\u2014Group of Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), FMUC, 3004-304 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-219 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carolina","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-219 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Bar\u00e3o do Corvo Family Health Unit, 4400-035 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2656-8935","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Rocha-Neves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-219 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"RISE@Health, 4200-219 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00edlia","family":"Dourado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology\u2014Group of Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), FMUC, 3004-304 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2012). 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Soc."}],"container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-4923\/16\/9\/1152\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T15:46:02Z","timestamp":1760111162000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-4923\/16\/9\/1152"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,30]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9]]}},"alternative-id":["pharmaceutics16091152"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/pharmaceutics16091152","relation":{},"ISSN":["1999-4923"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1999-4923","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,30]]}}}