Prescribing Patterns of Dementia Medications in Parkinson Disease

Cognitive impairment is a common nonmotor symptom of Parkinson disease (PD), yet few studies have examined the use of antidementia medications in PD with regard to patient demographics. To study the prescribing patterns of antidementia medications in a large cohort of Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with PD, investigators used multivariable logistical regression models. Primary outcomes were the prevalence of antidementia medication claims across demographic groups and the coprescribing of potentially inappropriate anticholinergic medications.

Of 268,407 Medicare beneficiaries with PD screened, 27% were prescribed at least one antidementia drug in a 1-year period. Donepezil accounted for the majority of prescriptions (63%), followed by mema…