It is likely that most community pharmacies will not routinely stock most products prescribed for pain relief in palliative care. These will need to be specially ordered, either through the usual wholesale channels or from 'specials' manufacturers. In both circumstances, delays to supply may occur. Pharmacy staff should communicate such issues early on to patients or carers and other healthcare professionals to help avoid delays in product supply, and increased distress for the patient and/or their carer.

Most of the drugs that have been mentioned are not licensed to be used in this way. Indeed, in palliative care, up to a quarter of all prescriptions written are for licensed drugs given for unlicensed indications, and/or via an unlicensed route or at unlicensed doses.

This means that the drug is being used outside of its marketing authorisation €“ which is also referred to as 'off label' use. When a licensed medicine is used outside the terms defined by its product licence or marketing authorisation (e.g. outside defined indications, doses, routes of administration or contrary to listed warnings), the prescriber assumes all liability for its use.

Since November 2012, if a prescriber wishes to use a product off-licence, he or she must write on the prescription the use for which it is being prescribed (e.g. 'for nausea'). It is generally advised and considered good clinical practice to use a licensed product whenever it is available €“ regardless of the cost.