The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7243 p485
5 April 2003

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New edition continues to be invaluable for palliative care workers

'Palliative care formulary', (2nd edition), by Robert Twycross, Andrew Wilcock, Sarah Charlesworth and Andrew Dickman. Pp xviii+388. Price £35. London: Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd; 2002. ISBN 1 85775 511 1

The first edition of this text, published in 1998, provided an essential resource for those working in palliative care. Information on both licensed and unlicensed indications, routes and doses is readily accessible, along with clearly explained pharmacology in each section. The second edition continues the familiar British National Formulary style format, useful text boxes, appendices for more complex issues and up-to-date references.

A number of changes have been made in this edition. The inclusion of the recommendations of the Association for Palliative Medicine on unlicensed medicines and an example of a patient information leaflet on the subject is helpful. A revised chapter on syringe drivers includes compatibility data for combinations of four drugs, but the compatibility tables have been reduced in size and are probably more easily viewed from the associated website.

Three new appendices provide advice on common palliative care situations. Guidance on the use of feeding tubes for the administration of drugs is invaluable. This comprehensive appendix advises on the types of feeding tubes, the preparation of drugs for administration by this route, potential drug interactions specific to these routes and hints on the unblocking of feeding tubes. The others detail drugs associated with prolongation of QT interval and Home Office advice for patients on taking Controlled Drugs abroad.

This book continues to provide a valuable resource for those caring for palliative care patients in any setting.

Fiona Montgomery