Palliative psychopharmacology: a putative speciality to optimize the subjective quality of life

Abstract

Mainstream medicine is concerned with the diagnosis and management of disease. Control of symptoms is important, but subordinated to control of disease. However, when a disease is judged to be incurable or ‘terminal’, it may be better to manage the patient palliatively. The difference is that palliative medicine uses the medical armamentarium to optimize quality of life rather than maximize the chances of curing or preventing disease.