Nutrition support therapy prescribing practices in hospice and palliative care units: a retrospective cohort study investigating physician prescribing practices and roles of pharmacists at a tertiary cancer center

Abstract

Background: The literature on nutrition support therapy prescribing practices by physicians and the roles of nutrition support pharmacists in palliative and hospice care cancer patients is limited. Methods: The study aimed to analyze the prescribing practices of physicians and the roles of clinical pharmacists at a tertiary cancer center. A retrospective analysis of 12527 electronic records of hospice and palliative care cancer patients. All nutrition support therapy prescriptions by physicians and clinical pharmacists’ interventions were recorded. Analysis was conducted utilizing the Jamovi statistical package 2022. Results: The study population comprised inpatients and homecare patients. The most frequently prescribed nutrition support therapy was vitamins and minerals supplements, followed by enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition. The total number of nutrition support pharmacist interventions was 660 (5.2%). The acceptance rate of interventions by physicians was 90%. Initiating mineral use was the most frequent intervention, followed by discontinuation of mineral use. Conclusion: Vitamins and mineral supplements are the most prescribed type of nutrition support therapy. The interventions of clinical pharmacists were highly accepted by physicians. Initiating mineral use is the most frequent intervention. Further research is needed to explore the impact of nutrition support therapy on patient outcomes and barriers to its implementation.