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Drug adherence in Parkinson's disease
Norman A Leopold1, Marcia Polansky, Marcia R Hurka
1Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Upland, Pennsylvania 19013, USA. naleopold@comcast.net
Summary
Medication nonadherence is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, with many missing or mistiming doses. This highlights a significant challenge in managing PD treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
- Patient Adherence Research
Background:
- Physicians adjust drug regimens based on patient clinical responses.
- Treatment effectiveness can be impacted by patient nonadherence rather than physician error.
- Parkinson's disease (PD) management requires consistent medication schedules.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and patterns of medication nonadherence in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
- To compare self-reported adherence with objectively monitored adherence.
- To identify factors associated with nonadherence in PD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a medication questionnaire for self-reported adherence.
- Employed a computerized medication event monitoring system (MEMS) for objective adherence tracking.
- Monitored 39 subjects with PD over a 28-day period.
Main Results:
- Only 4 out of 39 subjects exhibited complete adherence.
- MEMS data revealed over 50% of subjects missed at least one weekly dose, and 20.5% missed three or more.
- Over 80% of subjects had recorded mistimed doses, significantly higher than self-reported figures.
- Gender and education level were statistically linked to nonadherence.
Conclusions:
- Prescription nonadherence is prevalent in Parkinson's disease, comparable to other chronic conditions.
- Objective monitoring (MEMS) reveals higher rates of nonadherence than self-reporting.
- Addressing nonadherence is crucial for optimizing Parkinson's disease treatment outcomes.