Recommendations for Preventing Medication Diversion and Misuse in Hospice Care: A Modified Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Healthcare Management
• Medication Safety

Background:

• Medication diversion and misuse pose significant risks in hospice settings.
• There is a need for evidence-based strategies to mitigate these risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify expert-endorsed recommendations for preventing medication diversion and misuse in hospice care.
• To establish consensus on strategies to safeguard medications within the hospice environment.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi method involving an interdisciplinary panel of ten experts.
• Three phases of online and in-person voting to achieve consensus (≥80% endorsement).

Main Results:

• Fifteen recommendations achieved consensus, covering areas like balancing prevention with quality care, candidate screening, family education, medication monitoring, response protocols, and disposal.
• Patient & Family Education and Responding to Medication Diversion or Misuse were rated as the most important recommendations.

Conclusions:

• Expert-developed recommendations offer a framework to reduce medication diversion and misuse risks in hospice.
• Implementation of these recommendations is crucial for enhancing medication safety and patient care in hospice settings.