title: Patterns of initial pharmacotherapy for Parkinson's disease in the United States.
abstract: Data from a mix of employer- and government-funded health plans were used to investigate actual treatment patterns for patients initiating pharmacotherapy for Parkinson's disease in the United States. Treatment patterns evaluated included type of initial therapy and rates and types of adjunctive and substitute therapies. The study confirms that levodopa remains the most often prescribed initial treatment for Parkinson's disease regardless of age or drug benefit coverage. The widespread use of levodopa in young Parkinson's patients (<65 years) with private insurance may indicate that physicians are not overly concerned about or are not fully aware of the association of levodopa with long-term motor complications. It may also indicate that currently available alternatives to levodopa are not sufficiently effective or well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Thomson Medstat, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA. Dan.Huse@thomson.com
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Huse
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castelli-Haley
authors.forename: Lucinda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Orsini
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lenhart
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Abdalla
mesh_terms: D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D007980:Levodopa