Contents:
Document Title
Methadone for adults with pain in palliative care
Document Date
March 2024
Document Purpose and Intended Audience
To provide guidance to healthcare professionals in how to utilise methadone safely and appropriately for palliative patients with pain who are either not responding to standard opiates or who are suffering from unacceptable side effects.
Author
Professor Derek Willis, Dr Alice O’Connor, Dr Sophie Taylor, Dr Alice Gray
Consultation Process
Reviewed through SPAGG process
Monitoring
This will be audited and reviewed every 3 years
Review Date
(must be within three years)
March 2027
Approval Signatures:
SPAGG chair
Dr Jon Tomas
SPAGG secretary
Dr Alice Martin
Date Approved by SPAGG: 6th March 2024
Date submitted to Area Prescribing Committee: N/A
Version History
Version 1
Date
March 2024
Summary of change/ process
Current version
Disclaimer
These Guidelines are intended for use by healthcare professionals and the expectation is that they will use clinical judgement, medical, and nursing knowledge in applying the general principles and recommendations contained within. They are not meant to replace the many available texts on the subject of palliative care.
Some of the management strategies describe the use of drugs outside their licensed indications. They are, however, established and accepted good practice. Please refer to the current BNF for further guidance.
Whilst SPAGG takes every care to compile accurate information , we cannot guarantee its correctness and completeness, and it is subject to change. We do not accept responsibility for any loss, damage or expense resulting from the use of this information.