Drug-related problems in Parkinson's disease: the role of community pharmacists in primary care

Objective Although Parkinson's disease is a common disorder in the elderly, there have been very few studies of the role of the pharmaceutical care services in detecting and reducing problems associated with drug treatment in community settings. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the type and frequency of drug-related problems identified in patients with Parkinson's disease by community pharmacists over an 8-month period and to assess the pharmaceutical service interventions, the type and frequency of intervention outcomes and the clinical benefits for the patients. Setting Community pharmacies in Germany. Method Thirty-two community pharmacists recruited 113 outpatients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who were receiving anti-Parkinsonian medication. Main outcome measure Drug-related problems. Results A total of 331 drug-related problems were identified by the pharmacists. Patients not receiving a medication, despite the presence of an indication or symptom, accounted for the highest proportion of drug-related problems (26.3%). The pharmacists proposed a total of 474 interventions, the most common of which was giving the patient treatment advice (19.6%). Intervention outcomes were recorded for 215 of the 331 drug-related problems, for which there were 553 individual outcome results. Adjustments of the drug regimen accounted for the highest percentage of individual results (43.6%). Conclusion Structured pharmaceutical care processes by community pharmacists have the potential to make a valuable contribution to health care and enhance the health outcomes of patients with Parkinson's disease.