It is vital to get the right medication at the right time every time, not just at the set times scheduled for hospital medication rounds, in order for your symptoms to continue to be well managed and to speed up recovery. If admission is as an emergency, this can be more difficult as staff may not have a clear picture of your needs and may be very busy, so it is a good idea to discuss this scenario with those close to you so that they can liaise with staff on your behalf.
For any admission it is essential that staff have clear notes regarding your medication. A medication diary can be very helpful with this, specifying:
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dosage and timing of each medication you have to take, including complementary, trial, non-Parkinson’s medications and over the counter medications
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clear instructions on how each medication should be taken, eg with food, with water etc.
Some hospitals will allow you to self-medicate (leave you to take your own medications at the correct times without the intervention of staff) but this is not always the case.
Make sure that you take plenty of each medication with you into hospital as they might not have ready supplies, and ensure that the dosage on the label is what you have indicated on any medications list you provide. If not, staff can sometimes only be authorised to dispense what is written on the label, which could be incorrect.
It is also a good idea to inform staff of any side-effects medications can cause, particularly any “on-off” fluctuations you experience, so that staff realise that you may need help with certain activities when you are “off’’.
