Palliative Care Formulary (PCF 9)

Independent, specialist information, grounded in clinical practice.

The ninth edition of Palliative Care Formulary (PCF 9) provides unrivalled and expert drug information for health professionals when caring for adult patients facing progressive life-limiting diseases.

PCF 9 also includes several Quick Clinical Guides covering key topics in palliative care and designed for everyday use.

PCF 9 updates:

• 4 new monographs: Aprepitant, Direct oral anticoagulants, Dual orexin receptor antagonists and Myasthenia gravis at the end of life

• New Quick Clinical Guide: Administering a short subcutaneous infusion (SSCI)

• 50% of monographs have been fully reviewed and updated along with additional minor updates to other monographs

A eulogy to Dr Robert Twycross (1941-2024) a founding author has been included in recognition of his immeasurable contribution to the PCF and inspirational devotion to the specialty of palliative medicine

PCF is split into 3 parts plus the appendices:

Part 1 comprises 142 drug monographs, some covering a class of drugs (e.g. antimuscarinics, bronchodilators, strong opioids) and others restricted to an individual drug (e.g. morphine, fentanyl, ketamine)

Part 2 deals with themes which transcend the drug monographs, e.g. general advice about prescribing in palliative care, prescribing in renal or hepatic impairment, drugs and fitness to drive

Part 3 deals with routes of administration, e.g. administering drugs to patients with swallowing difficulties or enteral feeding tubes, the use of transdermal patches, and continuous subcutaneous drug infusions

The appendices contain information on opioid dose conversion ratios and compatibility charts for mixing drugs for continuous subcutaneous infusion