A Pharmacist’s Role in a Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Clinic: Evaluating the Impact on Workflow and Patient Experience

Parkinson disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative condition. The wait time to see a provider at the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Clinic at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC is 24 months. Because PD is progressive, changing symptoms can be difficult to manage in between appointments, leaving individuals feeling unsupported and adjusting their medications without guidance. 
 
To address this need, this research project will evaluate the impact of integrating a pharmacist into the interdisciplinary team at the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Clinic at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. A committee of individuals with PD and care partners/caregivers will be fully engaged throughout the project to help ensure that the integration of the pharmacist into clinic operations will effectively address the health needs of the PD community. 
 
Prior to initiating the pilot phase, individuals affected by PD and team members of the clinic will be providing their input and feedback on the gaps that need to be addressed pertaining to the provision of care. The pilot phase will then implement the integration of the pharmacist on the team. Finally, the research team will evaluate the impact on workflow and efficiency from both the patients’ and clinic staff perspectives, enabling them to identify effective and meaningful solutions.