Pharmacist‑Led Opioid Deprescribing Pilot Within Oncology Palliative Care
Pain is the most common symptom experienced by cancer patients, and opioids remain the mainstay of cancer pain management. In a study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, a hospital-based outpatient palliative care clinic piloted a pharmacist-led opioid deprescribing program to reduce long-term opioid use among oncology patients living with serious illness. Over the course of a year, a pharmacist embedded within the interdisciplinary team identified eligible patients and implemented structured opioid tapers. The findings showed that pharmacist-guided deprescribing was safe and effective in a palliative care setting; however, it was resource-intensive. The study highlights the need for large-scale research to develop scalable strategies that preserve pain management for patients who achieve cancer remission.