Pharmacy Daily | Parkinson’s smart packs

TODAY in Australia, more than one person every hour will hear the words 'you have Parkinson's' for the first time.

As Apr is Parkinson's Awareness Month, medication management company Webstercare has developed, in partnership with Parkinson's NSW, its Webster-pak 6 Dose (Parkinson's) solution, accommodating up to six dosage times in one convenient medication pack.

The distinctive fuchsia-coloured folder stands out to alert the user of specific dosage times, offering greater flexibility to increase treatments as the disease progresses and the therapeutic window narrows.

Gerard Stevens AM, medication expert, and inventor of the Webster-pak explained that "Parkinson's medication management is critical, as missing a dose or taking the wrong medication can lead to serious consequences such as increased tremors, muscle rigidity, and even hospitalisation.

"However, the use of Webster-paks can help patients and caregivers avoid medication errors and ensure medication compliance."

Pharmacist Rosemarie Mundy from Priceline Pharmacy Hamilton said, that the use of Webster-paks can be an effective tool for managing medications in patients with Parkinson's.

"The extra dosage times accommodate the high-frequency medication intervals required for complex medication regimens, like Parkinson's disease," Mundy said.

"Medication dosage times can be fully customised by the prescriber to meet patient requirements, allowing individuals to control their treatment, and not be fixed to standard dosage times."

Mundy said Parkinson's Webster-pak is particularly useful in aged-care facilities where there are "often numerous medication rounds to be made which can make it very challenging to deliver medication on-time every time.

"Feedback from the pilot was that the bright colour helped a lot as a visual prompt to give those medications first and at exactly the right time."

Learn more HERE.