US hospital initiative improves on-time administration of Parkinson’s medication

Late or missed doses of Parkinson’s medication in hospitals can lead to longer stays and greater morbidity. To counteract this issue, a team of healthcare professionals in the US launched a project to improve the on-time administration of medication to people with the condition.

As part of the initiative – published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease – several measures were implemented, including electronic alerts for nurses, stocking automated medication dispensing machines, reporting to nurse unit managers on timeliness of medication administration and more.

Dr Martha A Nance, the project’s lead investigator, said: “This project was very rewarding for our team, because of its obvious, immediate, and important impact on patient care.

“We have reason to think that timely administration of carbidopa-levodopa may be associated with shorter stays and better outcomes and satisfaction. Anecdotally, patients have reported being surprised and pleased that nurses were reminding them that medication doses were due soon, rather than the other way around!”

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