Prescribing guidance for anxiety and emotional distress


Anxiety can be a natural response to approaching death, which can be exacerbated by an underlying anxiety disorder or a result of poorly managed or newly emerging symptoms such as delirium, pain or shortness of breath.

Benzodiazepine naïve

Benzodiazepine tolerant


Prescribing considerations

  • Review patient regularly
  • If greater than 3 doses of any PRN medicine are required over a 24 hour period, review and consider changes to medication and syringe driver orders
  • Check availability of medicines through the patient’s usual pharmacy

The medicines listed throughout this app are in line with those endorsed by Caring at Home and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM) within the Community End-of-Life Medicines List (136kb pdf).

 

Page updated 19 July 2018


palliAGED is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.