Innovation update: resources for Parkinson disease

Given that those with Parkinson disease (PD) can wait up to 12 months to see a movement specialist, pharmacist Amy Tran and her team set out to provide tools for patients and front-line providers to help with medication management in the interim. The 2022 Innovation Fund recipient who is part of non-profit organization Parkinson Wellness Projects in B.C., has proved successful in collaborating with others in the PD community to create effective medication management resources.

Since identifying the areas of drug therapy where individuals with Parkinson’s encounter challenges, Tran and her team created an online shared decision-making tool for patients. They have also developed online support groups for patients attended by more than 100 people so far, that will continue in the future. There are also videos and analog tools available on the Parkinson Wellness Projects (PWP) website.

Earlier this year, the team developed an abstract explaining their collaborative approach to PD medication management that was accepted as a storyboard presentation at Quality Forum 2024, a three-day conference held by Healthy Quality BC in April where healthcare community members gather to discuss how to improve the continuum of care. “The Innovation Fund Grant from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy provided our team with the lift-off that we needed and we are so incredibly grateful,” says Tran.

Download the abstract here.