Medication Adherence in People With Parkinson Disease.

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States. Because there is no cure for PD currently, pharmacological therapy is the mainstay of PD symptom management. Despite the importance of medication adherence in PD, several studies have reported medication nonadherence and/or suboptimal adherence. This literature review provides an overview of medication adherence issues in people with PD. Articles were identified for this study using computerized database searches and journal hand searches. Of the 72 medication adherence articles reviewed, the following articles were eligible for this review: (a) 10 articles measuring medication adherence in people with PD, (b) four medication adherence intervention articles, and (c) six studies of medication adherence in hospitalized settings. The importance of adherence assessment and strategies in improving medication adherence are discussed with the goal of improving symptom management and clinical outcomes in people with PD. Because medication taking is a complex and multifaceted phenomena, patient-centered, theory-driven interventions are needed to improve medication adherence and quality of care and life in people with PD.