Shared from parkinsonsnewstoday.com.
Prescribing medication for Parkinson’s disease is not straightforward, but instead is influenced by a wide range of factors and behavioral drivers, according to a new study from Europe that investigated possible reasons for the choices of prescription drugs given by treating clinicians.
Beyond clinical guidelines, the researchers found that healthcare professionals’ medication choices for their patients with Parkinson’s are shaped by a complex mix of medical knowledge, practical constraints, and social influences — all of which may inadvertently limit access to the most effective treatments, the team noted.
“Supporting people with Parkinson’s requires more than just providing habitual treatment options. … It demands a deeper understanding of the complex nuances shaping prescribing behaviour that could be hindering potentially efficacious therapies,” Emma Begley, PhD, a behavioral scientist from Aston University in the U.K. and the study’s lead author, said in a news story from Alpharmaxim. The healthcare communications agency collaborated with Aston researchers on the project.