Parkinson’s disease prescription ‘needs to be better managed’

The management of care offered to Parkinson’s disease patients needs to be further improved, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS).

It cites a survey conducted in March, which found that nine out of ten specialist Parkinson’s disease nurses felt that an inability to dispense treatment to patients on time would adversely affect patients, compounded by a lack of understanding and inflexible drug rounds.

The society has launched a campaign called “Get it on time”, which includes leaflets, posters and hospital checklists, to raise awareness of the importance of treating Parkinson’s disease patients at the right time.

Steve Ford, chief executive of the PDS, said: “Since we’ve launched the Get it on time campaign, many hospital pharmacists and medical staff have come to us and said that managing Parkinson’s medication can be difficult.”

“We hope that the publication of the Healthcare Commission’s assessments will encourage other hospitals to take positive action to decrease the burden on ward staff and ensure shorter, and less stressful hospital stays for Parkinson’s patients,” he added.

The society says there are “many promising developments” in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, although there is no “perfect drug” at present. Most drugs aim to increase dopamine levels in the brain and stimulate the brain itself.

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