Aromatherapy blends - Input please?

[Do_Good]

Hi , I work at a hospice house.  We have and IAC aromatherapy nurse who brings in different "blends" for us to use.  Recently we received this email....     There is a new aromatherapy blend to try for hiccups called Hiccup Helper. It comes in a small squeeze bottle like the Mouth Gel. The directions are to place one drop on a clean or gloved finger and touch it to the roof of the mouth. you could squeeze one drop into a medicine cup to take into the patient's room. ....... Because this is new, we will heavily rely on your feedback!

I wonder if this is ethical.  I think this is experimenting on patients.  Also, no literature about side effects is given or ingredient list.   I wrote to my BON and they replied , in part, with this.... We are unable to advise on setting specific or client/patient specific practice questions

I was hoping the BON would give me something I could go to my boss with.  What would you do?

 

Note:  I also posted this in the hospice section but noticed that they don't have many replies......

[JKL33]

Ask where you can read more about this intervention and where you can receive the same information you would have available for any other substance you are expected to administer to patients (eg chemical properties, dosing info, onset, duration, expected effects, side effects, etc.)

Is this approved by your medical director?

[mtmkjr, BSN]

We have had two different patients with hiccups spanning days or weeks who were able to get relief with peppermint oil. The hiccups ended. 

I'm sorry I have not done a review of the research but I did a quick Google and found there are some journal articles for using Aetheroleum Menthae Piperitae, (better known as peppermint oil), with terminally ill cancer patients.