Parkinson's disease: Focus on management alternatives

AUDIENCE This activity is designed for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, hea lth planners, directors of managed care organizations, and payers of health services. GOAL To understand the impact that Parkinson's disease has on Patients and to identify areas of drug therapy that can be optimized to improve a patien t's quality of life. OBJECTIVES 1. Discuss the epidemiology and pathophysiology of idiopathic Parkinson's d isease (IPD). 2. identify causes of secondary parkinsonism and medications associated wit h drug-induced parkinsonism. 3. Discuss the cardinal and secondary manifestations of IPD. 4. Outline the 6 stages of IPD. 5. Identify therapeutic alternatives for various levodopa I treatment failu res. 6. Identify the 3 newer antiparkinson agents and state their mechanisms of action, common adverse effects, drug interactions, and appropriate use. 7. Identify the appropriate use, common adverse effects, and drug interacti ons of dopamine agonists, anticholinergic agents, monoamine oxidase inhibit ors, and catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors in Parkinson's disease the rapy.