Medication Management

Medication and exercise are the primary treatments of Parkinson’s disease, but fluctuating symptoms and varying rates of progression make treatment challenging.

Come meet Amy Tran, BSc(Pharm), RPh, and learn more about the symptoms that come with Parkinson’s medication, the best ways to manage your medication, and more.

A PARKINSON’S-FOCUSED PHARMACIST

Amy is a practicing pharmacist in Greater Victoria. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her interest in Parkinson disease started while she was on a community pharmacy rotation as a student pharmacist. She realized the need for education and guidance when it came to the medications used to manage Parkinson disease. Soon after becoming a registered pharmacist, Amy started her volunteer role with the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre in September 2015. Having the opportunity to meet and connect with individuals affected by Parkinson disease over the years has allowed her to obtain an understanding of the support needed by this community in-between healthcare appointments.

Amy is truly delighted to be part of the PWP team. Being born and raised in Victoria, she knew she wanted to come home after graduating from UBC. She is passionate about collaborating on initiatives that help the Parkinson’s community, and always strives to support the organization to the best of her ability.

Online Medication Support Groups

Introduction to Online Medication Support Groups

Developed in collaboration with the BRAIN Team at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, PWP is excited to introduce the new, free online medication support groups for Parkinson’s disease.

Pharmacy students will be facilitating medication support groups under the supervision of registered pharmacists that have experience working with patients with Parkinson’s disease.

These sessions are open to anyone interested in learning more about Parkinson’s disease! There will be a total of three sessions. Each session will be one hour long and involve an education session followed by a Q&A period where you will have the opportunity to ask medication-related questions.

Please join registered pharmacists Amy Tran and Larry Leung for the following sessions:

Medication Management of Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease

Medication Management of Motor Fluctuations and Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s Disease

Medication Management of Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease

Stay tuned for upcoming dates

Videos

Medications for Parkinson’s Disease Overview

Levodopa is considered the “gold standard” for treating Parkinson’s disease - but how does it work? In this video, Larry Leung, a pharmacist and Associate Professor of Teaching at UBC, provides an overview of levodopa and other Parkinson’s medications.

Late and Advanced Treatment

Since Parkinson’s disease is a lifelong and progressive condition, a person’s response to their medications can change over time as their symptoms worsen. In this video, Larry Leung explores some of the treatment options that are available in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease.

Student Videos

Are you interested in learning more about Parkinson’s disease? In this video, Nicoline and Elizabeth, two Entry-to-Practice PharmD students, share an exciting opportunity for students who are wanting to further their learning and support patients with Parkinson’s disease.

PEER | PD Decision Support Tool

In collaboration with PWP, the BRAIN Team at UBC designed the PD Decision Support Tool, an interactive tool designed to educate patients and healthcare professionals on the most appropriate options for initial treatment and adjustment of medications for Parkinson’s disease. The tool is divided into 4 steps, which are intended to guide patients through self-assessment, comparison of alternatives, and adjustment processes.

  • Step 1: The user enters information on their current medications and symptoms to determine whether the tool will give information on either: (A) starting medications for newly diagnosed PD or (B) adjusting current PD medications.

  • Step 2: Medication options can be selected to compare benefits and risks. Medication regimens, costs, and other relevant considerations are displayed in the dropdown menu. A bar graph displays the incidence (%) of side effects for each medication selected. Happy faces are used indicate the relative benefit of drug classes used in PD (highest = 🙂🙂🙂; lowest = 🙂).

  • Step 3: Inputs from Step 1 are used to provide guidance for self-adjusting levodopa therapy. Users are directed to discuss therapeutic alternatives requiring a prescription with their prescriber.

  • Step 4: Non-drug recommendations and links to PD-related infographics are provided.

What PD Decision Support Tool doesn’t do:

  • This tool is not intended for use by those with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) implants. People with DBS implants may still use some medications to manage their PD. We recommend discussing appropriate alternatives for use with DBS with a neurologist.