How do you counsel patients who are concerned that discontinuation of certain chronic medications may actually perpetuate suffering at the end of life?

Great question, and it’s very nuanced. I’ll share how I typically approach this based on my experience.

In the end-of-life care setting, when I review a medication list, I go through every single one and ask:

1. “What is the purpose of this medication in this particular case?”
   • For example, anticoagul...