Teaching people with Parkinson's disease about their medication

PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting an estimated 78,000 Australians. Predominantly it affects older people, although or younger. Medications to treat PD are aimed at controlling symptoms as there is no known cure. A regime of PD medications may involve taking doses at frequent intervals and adverse reactions are common. Education of the person with PD, their close carers and family that covers medications, observational techniques and dealing with side effects, along with unpredictable worsening of PD symptoms, may result in improvement in quality of life. When the person with PD has realistic expectations about PD drug therapy then the ability to cope with the physical disability caused by symptoms may be improved. It is important to educate about any possible interaction with commonly taken drugs including dietary supplements and over-the-counter medication. Before a medication education session, nurse activities should include assessment of the person with PD and their support network, development of an appropriate education plan and subsequent implementation, followed by evaluation. Ongoing nursing support at each clinic visit can provide opportunity for evaluation. An individualised session guided by the principles of adult learning theory may provide a successful tool for use in the education of people with PD as well as healthcare professionals. A large amount of available information and untested educational material does not address the educational needs of people with PD with regard to their medications. There is a need for further research in this area. The effectiveness of a one-on-one educational session about PD medication supported by printed, individualised PD medication information may provide more appropriate education and lead to improved quality of life. It is the focus of a planned research study.