Making sure our patients with Parkinson’s Disease receive their medications in a timely manner is one of the key messages for clinical colleagues from Pharmacy Technician and Parkinson’s Champion, Lisa Wilks.
Lisa works on the Acute Floor at HRI, where some of our sickest patients are admitted through A&E. She also has a personal reason for helping us get it right, as her father had lived with a degenerative illness that relied on receiving his medications at a set time.
Lisa said: “All medications are important, but for our patients who have Parkinson’s, you can see the deterioration if they do not have their medications at the right time.
“When I talk to families and patients, they often tell me they feel hesitant telling the team caring for their loved one that their medicines are due, yet they have the most in-depth knowledge, so it’s important to listen to them.”
Here are Lisa’s top tips for colleagues:
- Talk to and listen to your patients and their relatives
- Set an alarm so you know when medications are due
- Be aware of the side effects of not getting the medication in time
- Prescribers should use Powerplan on EPR to prescribe and reschedule PD medications appropriately
- Healthcare professionals who administer medications should ensure Parkinson's Disease medications are administered within a 30-minute timeframe
Guidance and information
- Parkinson's Disease Guidelines on the Policies and Documents Library - for all doctors, nurses and HCAs
- Parkinson’s Disease Nil by Mouth and Swallowing Impairment Guidelines on the Policies and Documents Library. Practical guidance for Doctors, Nurses and Pharmacists who are looking after patients with Parkinson's Disease who have been admitted to hospital and are unable to take their medicines orally or are nil by mouth (NBM).
- The Parkinson's UK website has lots of useful information
You can also talk to the Pharmacy Team for advice.