Meds on Time, Every Time

For people with Parkinson’s, timing is everything when it comes to medication. These medicines help manage symptoms like stiffness, slowness, and tremors, but they need to be taken on schedule to work their best. 

Think of it like both catching a train and completing a puzzle. If you miss the train or arrive late, your journey gets delayed, and if a puzzle piece is missing or out of place, it’s harder to see the full picture. But when you’re on time, everything runs smoothly—your day stays on track, and all the pieces come together to help you feel in control. 

Set alarms, use pill organizers, or ask for support—whatever it takes to stay on time makes a big difference. 

Let’s stay on track and put the pieces together: #OnTimeEveryTime 

Our campaign

Our “Meds on Time, Every Time” program has advanced significantly over the last few months thanks to cooperative efforts with important partners. Following the success of the IMSN’s inaugural conference in November, we have collaborated closely with colleagues in Parkinson’s UK Northern Ireland, Transforming Medication Safety Northern Ireland (TMSNI), and the Irish Medication Safety Network (IMSN) to improve the campaign’s impact and fortify our message.

Ireland East Hospital Group invited our nurse to participate in their quality improvement study in January, which focused on timely administration of Parkinson’s medicine. Through an in-person event with powerful discussion sessions, we interacted with several healthcare specialties. During Brain Awareness Week, we had the pleasure of taking part in a webinar that emphasised the critical roles that time and medication play in managing Parkinson’s.

This week, we will be presenting our campaign to the Irish Nurses at the PD Nurse Meeting, and we are excited to share that an article on the campaign has been submitted to Irish Pharmacy News, with publication expected later this month.

Looking ahead, we are developing a suite of tools designed to further support the campaign, and we hope to receive both engagement and valuable feedback from people with Parkinson’s and family members, as well as healthcare professionals including the IMSN and HSE Medication Safety team and strengthen relationships with pharmacies, emergency departments. To access the tools we have so far, such as our alert card, passport and information leaflets, please click here.

With these collective efforts, we are optimistic about the ongoing impact of our work and the positive changes it can bring. Please keep an eye over the coming months on further updates and the launch of this crucial campaign. Our campaign will aim to educate and empower people with Parkinson’s, their families and health professionals to advocate for Parkinson’s medications on time.

Prioritise medication

Making sure people with Parkinson’s get their medication on time, every time, is incredibly important for their well-being. Parkinson’s medication helps keep symptoms under control by balancing chemicals in the brain. If these medicines are delayed, even by a short time, it can disrupt this balance, making symptoms worse and increasing the care they need.

This can also cause a lot of anxiety for the person, as it takes time for them to feel normal again after missing a dose. That’s why it’s so important for caregivers, hospital staff, and family members to prioritize giving medication exactly as prescribed, even if it doesn’t match regular drug rounds.

Parkinson’s Ireland’s On Time, Every Time campaign highlights how crucial this is and hopes to spread awareness and to further educate those with Parkinson’s, care partners and health professionals.

Timing is everything

Timing is everything with Parkinson’s medication because symptoms can return or fluctuate if the effects of the drugs wear off. For example, when a drug like levodopa begins to wear off, a person might suddenly feel stiff, slow, or unable to move (“off”), compared to when their symptoms are controlled (“on”).

These changes can happen unpredictably and affect both movement and mood. To help, caregivers can check the patient’s medication schedule regularly, allow self-administration when appropriate, and explore other forms of medication, like patches or liquid, if swallowing is difficult. Managing medication carefully, especially during surgery or hospital stays, is critical to avoid serious complications and ensure the person feels their best.

Plan ahead 

Hospitals and caregivers should also plan ahead for surgeries and discharges to ensure medication routines aren’t disrupted. Education for healthcare staff and families is key campaigns like On Time, Every Time provide awareness and education to make sure people with Parkinson’s get the right support. By keeping medication on track, loved ones and healthcare professionals can help people with Parkinson’s live more comfortably and confidently. 

Use our Parkinson’s Passport to keep the list in your Parkinson’s passport, which you can download from our website or call 1800 359359 and we can post a physical copy to you.

The HSE have developed a ‘My Medicines List’ template you can fill in available via www.hse.ie/safermeds. It would be helpful if you allow healthcare professional to view/photocopy your medication list, and then return it to you. Keep your Parkinson’s passport/medication list with you – so if you move within the hospital environment, your list moves with you. 

Use of tools like these are encouraged among our Parkinson’s members to alleviate additional stress during hospitalisation, planned or unplanned.

Healthcare providers can seek further information from their pharmacy department, neurology team or Parkinson’s nurse if available and also the Irish Medication Safety Network alert, published in 2024.

How can I best ensure I receive my anti-Parkinson’s medications on time in hospital?

Niamh O’ Hanlon (Chair, IMSN) has recommended the following tips to ensure you receive your meds on time when in hospital:

1. Bring in your own supply of regular medications with you.

On occasion, there may be delay sourcing some of the less frequently used medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease, so to avoid any interruption to your usual medication schedule it can be helpful for patients to have your own supply. Discuss this with the healthcare professionals looking after you

2. Bring in a list of all your regular medications. Inform us of times you take your Parkinson’s medications

For people with Parkinson’s attending hospital, it is really helpful to provide a list of up-to-date medications that you are taking, including any ‘over the counter’ medications or any herbal preparations. This can ensure that while you are in hospital we are aware of all the medications you take, and in relation to anti-Parkinson’s medicines, what times of day you take your medication to best suit you.

You could keep the list in your Parkinson’s passport, or the HSE have developed a ‘My Medicines List’ template you can fill in available via www.hse.ie/safermeds. It would be helpful if you allow healthcare professional view/photocopy your medication list, and then return it to you. Keep your Parkinson’s passport/medication list with you – so if you move within the hospital environment, your list moves with you.

Irish Medication Safety Alerts

Parkinson’s Ireland were involved in the update of the IMSN (Irish Medication Safety Network) Parkinson’s Safety Alerts. These series of safety alerts raise awareness among healthcare professionals providing care for a person with Parkinson’s disease in their setting.

The alerts emphasises the significance of managing a person’s medication, with provision of risk mitigation strategies to lessen chance of harm to those who have the disease, either through delay of drug administration, or administration of drugs inappropriate for a person with Parkinson’s Disease.

Alert 1: Reducing harm from omitted and delayed Parkinson’s Disease Medications in Irish hospitals

Please find the first alert on Reducing Harm from Omitted and Delayed Parkinson’s Disease Medications in Irish Hospitals below:

Alert 2: Contraindicated Medication in Parkinson’s Disease

Please find the second alert on Contraindicated Medications in Parkinson’s Disease below:

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