DIFFERENCES IN DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERNS IN ELDERLY PARKINSONIAN-PATIENTS IDENTIFIED AT HOSPITAL ADMISSION

In the period July 1984 to June 1993 a total of 4541 admission to a De partment of Medicine for the Elderly were investigated. Approximately 9% of the total were diagnosed to have parkinsonism. Full drug histori es together with the available demographic and clinical data were inve stigated in order to identify differences in the prescribing patterns in this group compared to those of non-parkinsonian patients admitted during this time frame. There was a statistically significant lower in cidence among the parkinsonian group for the prescribing of all cardio vascular drug groups, anticoagulants, hypoglycaemics, bronchodilators, and corticosteroids compared with non-parkinsonian patients. In contr ast, the incidence of hypnotics, laxatives, antidepressants and antips ychotics were significantly higher.