Prescription Patterns in Terminal Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study in a Low- and Middle-Income Country Setting

Objectives

The objective of the study is to evaluate prescription patterns from admission (Ta) to discharge/death (Td), assess associations between symptom burden and medication use and identify significant co-prescription patterns contributing to polypharmacy. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted in an acute palliative care unit of a tertiary cancer hospital (n = 219). Medications were categorised using the World Health Organization anatomical therapeutic chemical codes. Symptom burden was assessed at Ta using the Symptom Assessment Scale. McNemar and Chi-square tests examined changes in prescribing; Pearson correlation assessed relationships between symptom burden and medication use.