Essential medicines in palliative care are those that alleviate the most common symptoms occurring in patients with progressive, life-threatening conditions.
The IAHPC List of Essential Medicines in Palliative Care was developed in 2007 by IAHPC and endorsed by 26 pain and palliative care organizations.
The list includes 33 medications to treat pain, mental/cognitive, GI and other symptoms. The list of medications was selected based on a consensus Delphi process in regards to efficacy and safety.