Palliative Care: A Critical Perspective on Concept, Practice, and the Role of Pharmacy

Palliative care is evolving from a predominantly end-of-life service into an integrated, person-centred approach that can be introduced early during serious illness. From a pharmacy practice perspective, this evolution creates important opportunities for pharmacists to contribute beyond conventional medication dispensing and supply. Pharmacists can support individualized pharmacotherapy, symptom management, medication reconciliation, dose optimization, deprescribing, prevention of drug-related problems, and education of patients and caregivers. However, limited integration of pharmacists into palliative care teams, inadequate palliative care training, and persistent misconceptions regarding the timing and purpose of palliative care remain important challenges. This Perspective highlights the need to reposition pharmacists as active members of interdisciplinary palliative care teams throughout the disease trajectory. Strengthening palliative care education within pharmacy curricula, developing specialized clinical competencies, promoting collaborative practice, and integrating pharmaceutical care into palliative services could enhance medication safety, therapeutic effectiveness, comfort, and quality of life. Future palliative pharmacy practice should therefore move toward proactive, individualized, and collaborative care in which medication-related decisions are aligned with patient goals, preferences, dignity, and overall quality of life.