Prescribing Ketamine for Symptom Management in Patients with Serious Illness

This virtual workshop offers a comprehensive and practical overview of ketamine use in palliative care, with a focus on managing refractory pain and treatment-resistant depression in patients with serious illness. Participants will gain an understanding of the pharmacology of ketamine, including its action as an NMDA receptor antagonist, and examine why it may be uniquely effective in cases where conventional therapies fall short. The workshop covers current—and evolving—evidence for ketamine's use in palliative settings, including its benefits, limitations, and safety considerations. Through real-world case vignettes, clinicians will learn how to identify appropriate candidates for ketamine use, determine the most appropriate administration routes, strategies for dosing, and how to mitigate side effects. The workshop will also address regulatory and logistical barriers to prescribing, providing tools and insights to help participants integrate the use of ketamine safely and effectively into clinical practice. Designed for physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician associates/assistants, this workshop offers both foundational knowledge and practical approaches to expand your palliative care symptom management toolkit.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the pharmacologic properties and mechanism of action of ketamine, including its role as an NMDA receptor antagonist.
2. Identify appropriate clinical indications for ketamine use in serious illness, particularly in cases of refractory pain and treatment-resistant depression.
3. Evaluate the current evidence base for ketamine use in palliative care, including its benefits, limitations, and areas of uncertainty.
4. Formulate individualized prescribing strategies that optimize therapeutic benefit while minimizing adverse effects and safety risks.
5. Develop practical approaches to address regulatory, ethical, and logistical barriers to the integration of ketamine into palliative care practice.

This activity has been submitted to the Connecticut Nurses' Association for approval to award contact hours. The Connecticut Nurses' Association is accredited as an approver of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

CAPC is working closely with our educational partners to provide interprofessional continuing education credits.