Improving Parkinson’s Medicine Administration in Hospitals: The Impact of an Out-of-Hours Drug Box

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of Lewy bodies. PD medications, notably Levodopa, are critical in controlling patients' symptoms and improving their quality of life. These medications are time-critical, and a delay in administration can have a negative impact on a patient's mobility, quality of life and symptoms. Objective The objective of this quality improvement project (QIP) was to (1) determine the occurrence and underlying factors contributing to delays in PD medication administration at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and (2) evaluate the impact of subsequent interventions in improving the administration of time-critical PD medications. Methods A total of 20 patients were recruited from Ward 5, a care of the elderly ward, at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary for the entire duration of this QIP; 10 in the pre-intervention phase and 10 for the post-intervention phase one month following the implementation of three interventions: 'Parkinson's Drug Box', ward-based teaching and a hospital-wide screensaver reminder. Data was collected from the electronic patient record (EPR) to determine and compare the following measures before and after the interventions: the percentage of PD medications administered within the 30-minute recommended window, the admission-to-medication reconciliation time, scheduled-to-actual dose administration time, and factors causing delays. Results Following the implementation of three interventions, the percentage of patients receiving PD medications within the recommended 30-minute window doubled, increasing from 10% to 20%. Moreover, the average delay in patients receiving their initial PD medication dose decreased from 7.8 hours to 3.7 hours. The percentage of patients experiencing medication delays due to stock shortages also dropped from 50% to 10%. Conclusions Earlier medicines reconciliation and the availability of time-critical drugs out of hours are both key factors in helping to ensure PD medication is administered on time in hospitals. Staff education and a 'Parkinson's Drug Box' are two relatively simple measures that have resulted in improved outcomes for Parkinson's inpatients.