Aim: We studied the actual conditions of polypharmacy in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by comparing PD patients receiving anti-Parkinson’s medications (anti-PD medications) with non-PD patients not receiving anti-PD medications.

Methods: Using the dispensing databases of health insurance accredited pharmacies, PD patients were extracted from among patients to whom anti-PD medications had been prescribed (PD group). Ten age- and sex-matched patients were grouped into the non-PD group for comparison.

Results: Data from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016 were analyzed. Of 400 patients prescribed anti-PD medications, 140 were selected as the PD group. Their average age was 76.5±8.8 years, and there were slightly more males (54.7％). The PD group had a significantly higher average number of medications compared to the non-PD group (6.53±3.62 vs. 4.09±2.73 medications, p<0.001). The proportion of patients prescribed more than six medications was 56.1％ among the PD group, and 25.7％ among the non-PD group, which meant that more than half of those in the PD group were prescribed more than six medications. Next, the top 15 medications in the PD group were compared with those in the non-PD group by therapeutic category. In the PD and non-PD groups, acid suppressants ranked No. 2 (59/148 patients) and No. 14 (12 patients), central nervous system agents ranked No. 4 (40 patients) and No. 22 (7 patients), and antiepileptic agents ranked No. 11 (25 patients) and No. 38 (2 patients), respectively, with the PD group showing higher numbers of prescriptions. Meanwhile, antihyperlipidemic agents ranked No. 14 (20 patients) in the PD group and No. 5 (46 patients) in the non-PD group, and antidiabetic agents ranked No. 14 (20 patients) and No. 4 (46 patients), respectively, with the PD group showing lower numbers of prescriptions, resulting in a marked difference when compared with the non-PD patients.

Conclusions: The mean number of medications prescribed in the PD group exceeded 6, which is due to the prescription of medications to improve non-motor symptoms such as acid suppressants in addition to the prescription of anti-PD medications. It was considered necessary to take corrective pharmacotherapeutic measures towards avoiding polypharmacy among PD patients through a multidisciplinary approach involving medical staff and nursing care staff such as neurologists, family doctors, pharmacists, visiting nurses, as needed.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the ratio of inpatients who consume health foods and supplements, determine their awareness of interactions between medicines and health foods or supplements, and confirm that information on the consumption of health foods and supplements by inpatients is collected by medical personnel.

Methods: A total of 110 inpatients taking antihypertensive medications completed a questionnaire survey about their medical history, currently prescribed medications, and current diagnoses. Data on the inpatients’ consumption of health foods and supplements were also collected from medical and nursing records by medical staff. The risk of actual drug interactions with health foods or supplements was analyzed using the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.

Results: Overall, 30% of patients had consumed some health foods or supplements before they were hospitalized. A total of 62 patients were found to have an interaction risk even though most of them were not aware of potential drug interactions with supplements. Few patients knew what medications they were taking. In addition, medical staff and even doctors hardly ever asked patients about their consumption of health foods and supplements.

Conclusions: Patients using health food and supplements is 30%. Most patients don’t know interaction risk between health food, supplements, and drugs. Interaction risk between health food, supplements, and drugs is 62 cases. And, in hospital wards, doctors and nurses rarely gather information what health food and supplements patients use.