Pharmacy internship palliative care unit
Deployment of pharmacists in internships (PhiPs) on a palliative care unit
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Pharmacotherapy is a fundamental component of palliative care, but requires a high degree of individualised therapy and therapy planning. The foundation Patient & Clinical Pharmacy funds two six-months positions for pharmacist trainees (PhiPs) at the Center for Excellence in Palliative Pharmacy Care (“Kompetenzzentrum Palliativpharmazie”) of the Department of Palliative Medicine at LMU University Hospital in Munich, Germany. This department offers specialised palliative care in a variety of settings. The department sees itself as a lighthouse institution with the aim of developing and improving the care of people with advanced, life-limiting illnesses through the provision of palliative care in Germany. Pharmacists have supported patient care since the department was founded. The Center for Excellence in Palliative Pharmacy Care combines all clinical-pharmaceutical activities of the Department of Palliative Medicine. Pharmacists are predestined to accompany palliative care patients throughout their medical treatment and play an important and central role in the palliative care of patients. In addition to providing medicines, they offer professional support for pharmacotherapy and are important contacts for patients and their families, as well as for doctors and nurses.
The focus of the six-month internship is on clinical pharmaceutical work. Under the guidance of experienced pharmacists, patients' pharmacotherapy is professionally supervised. This includes managing the transition to other care settings (e.g. discharge management), acquiring knowledge about pharmacological and non-pharmacological symptom control, and gaining experience in communicating with patients and their relatives, as well as with physicians, nurses, and other pharmacists. In addition, the PhiPs should be familiar with searching, evaluating and summarising relevant information in the context of palliative care drug information. During the internship, the PhiPs will also work on a project on relevant topics such as deprescribing and off-label drug use.
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Contact: PD Dr. Constanze Rémi MSc
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