Pattern of drug use by advanced cancer patients followed at home

The aim of this study was to document the drugs most commonly prescribed to control symptoms in advanced cancer patients being followed at home. We an alyzed data for 128 patients admitted to a home palliative care program fro m January 1993 to January 1995. All patients were followed at home until de ath by a team consisting of doctors and nurses, and were given two or three medical examinations a week. The most frequently prescribed drugs were ana lgesics and drugs commonly used to prevent NSAID-induced gastric toxicity. Slow-release morphine was the analgesic used most often. Most patients rece ived more than four drugs. Younger people received morphine more often than did older patients. Conclusions: Drug monitoring is a useful audit tool fo r verifying the quality and quantity of drugs prescribed for advanced cance r patients being followed at home. Pharmacological usage should be reviewed periodically and should reflect evidence-based practice.