PRESCRIBING PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES OF ANTI-PARKINSONIAN MEDICATIONS IN INDIA: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Background: Managing Parkinson’s disease (PD) requires a multimodal strategy, with pharmaceutical therapies being an essential component. This study’s goal was to look into how antiparkinsonian drug prescriptions are given to PD patients at a tertiary care facility. Methods: Five hundred Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients who visited the Department of Neurology at Mallige Hospital in Bengaluru, India, participated in an observational, cross-sectional study.  Patients’ medication histories were used to stratify them into three different groups: Group 1 (patients on medications at initial visit), Group 2 (patients who discontinued medications), and Group 3 (Drug-naïve patients). Results: The average age of PD onset was 51.5 ± 11.6 years. The patients were divided into three groups at the first visit: 76.4% (n=382) were on medications for PD (Group 1), 12.6% (n=63) had previously taken medications but discontinued (Group 2), and 11% (n=55) were drug-naïve (Group 3). Overall, levodopa was prescribed in 90.33%, trihexyphenidyl in 34.38%, in group 1, 48.7% were on monotherapy, with levodopa being the most commonly used agent (42.9%), followed by trihexyphenidyl. In group 2, levodopa monotherapy was also most common (65.07%), followed by trihexyphenidyl monotherapy (3.17%). Conclusion: This study highlights the prevalent use of levodopa and trihexyphenidyl in Parkinson’s disease management, likely attributed to their accessibility, affordability, and tolerability. The findings underscore the need for tailored guidelines to optimize PD pharmacological management in the Indian context, considering factors such as medication costs, physician expertise, and potential side effects.