When it comes to hospice formularies, they should always be focused and concise. If a medication cannot be related directly to one of the top 10 hospice diagnoses, it should not be on the list. Curious to learn more? Read on for our top 5 formulary tips.

1. Discuss care goals to determine the best medications

It’s best to take some time to discuss any pain or symptom management goals that patients have. Remember, when creating your formularies, it should be for symptom management only. If it does not bring comfort in some form, don’t include it.

2. Ensure medication availability

When creating a formulary, you should select medications that are always available at ANY pharmacy at ANY time. It can be difficult to manage patient symptoms if you cannot get a medication in time.

3. Make sure to discuss patient safety

Talk with patients and families about any fall or bleeding risks, adverse drug effects, etc. that may come from medications.

4. Keep in mind clinical safety guidelines & patient goals

The CDC has specific surveillance criteria for infections and the use of antibiotics. When you remove antibiotics from formularies, you’re helping fight bacterial resistance while providing better patient outcomes and overall cost savings.

5. Controlling hospice medication costs

Did you know it’s unnecessary to include every drug class in your formulary? Selecting 1 or 2 in a couple of drug classes keeps your costs down and ensures medications stay in stock.

Still have questions?

Our dedicated PharmDs can help you create a perfect formulary that is optimized for patient comfort and cost-efficient for your hospice.

Are you ready to get on the better side of medication ordering?

Schedule a free discovery call with our team here.