Episode 75: Pharmacy Challenges with PD

Medication is a mainstay of treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and can vary for each person with PD. Each medication has its own properties, and healthcare professionals have reasons to choose certain ones at various times as conditions warrant. At those times, people with PD and their care partners need to ask questions about the reasons for starting specific medications, what they can expect, and whether they will interact well with other medications. This advice applies to all medications, not just ones for PD. All healthcare providers need to be aware that someone has PD and what medications they are taking because not only can they interact with other medications, but they may also affect what procedures can be performed and when. Emily Peron, PharmD, of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy in Richmond discusses these issues and more, with advice about medications, their effects and adverse effects, and medication changes.

Released: February 25, 2020

Emily Peron, PharmD, MS, is Associate Professor of Geriatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Butler University and then completed clinical residency training at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, where she specialized in geriatric pharmacy. Dr. Peron went on to earn her MS in Clinical Research while completing a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Health-Related Sciences with a Concentration in Gerontology through the VCU College of Health Professions.

Dr. Peron’s participation in the 2009 American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Foundation Parkinson’s Disease (PD) Pharmacotherapy Traineeship initially sparked her interest in PD. Shortly thereafter, she identified a drug-induced tremor in her grandfather, and she has since committed her career to improving medication use for individuals with movement disorders. More than a decade later, Dr. Peron consults with patients and healthcare professionals about PD medication management and teaches PD content to students in the VCU Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Physical Therapy.

In collaboration with the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center, Dr. Peron conducts research on the appropriateness of medication use for people with PD during hospitalization. She is a member of the Parkinson’s Foundation Aware in Care Advisory Committee, which focuses on making hospitals safer for people with PD. She is also a regular speaker at movement disorder support groups, community outreach events, and continuing education seminars, taking an Aware in Care Kit with her wherever she goes.