Palliative Pharmacotherapy/Introductory Information/Role of the Palliative Care Pharmacist

Training & Education

There are many paths to becoming a pharmacist who works in palliative care. Likewise, there are many settings in which a palliative care pharmacist can be employed: inpatient hospice, outpatient hospice, inpatient palliative care, outpatient palliative care, inpatient pain management, outpatient pain management, long-term care, self-employed as a consultant, etc. Perhaps the most straightforward path to becoming a pharmacist in palliative care is by successfully completing a PGY-2 residency program in Pain Management & Palliative Care.

• ASHP's 'Required and Elective Educational Outcomes, Goals, Objectives, and Instructional Objectives for Postgraduate Year Two (PGY2) Pharmacy Residencies in Pain Management and Palliative Care'

Although pharmacists can pursue board certification through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) for many areas of pharmacy practice, pain management and palliative care is not yet a board specialty. However, a petition was submitted in 2023 to BPS for a Pain Management specialty certification. The petition in can be read in full here.