Evidence from our previous studies suggests that for patients and carers receiving community-based palliative care, the experience of accessing medicines is often a considerable burden, involving multiple professionals and including a complex process of attaining and managing controlled drugs, such as opioids. 3 The process of medicine access for symptom control can be a lengthy one, including obtaining a prescription for a medicine, ensuring it is dispensed correctly and supplied, together with information that enables patients and carers to manage medicines effectively in the home. 2 Patients may have a complex range of clinical issues related to their condition, and fluctuating symptoms, including severe pain, can be difficult to control, requiring frequent readjustment of medication. Timely patient access to medicines in the last year of life (end of life (EoL)) is critical for control of symptoms managed at home.
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