Parkinson Canada Teams Up With Catalyst to Boost Medication Adherence

The nonprofit Parkinson Canada has teamed up with technology company Catalyst to enhance awareness of available digital health tools that can help people with Parkinson’s disease keep up their medication regimen.

People diagnosed with Parkinson’s usually require treatment with multiple medications, often with frequent dosing, to adequately control their symptoms.

However, keeping up with the appropriate treatment regimen — and taking medications on time — can be a challenge, whether patients take their medicines at home, in an emergency room, or in long-term care facilities. Data shows that failure to stay on top of a medication regimen, and get the right doses at the correct times, may contribute to worse treatment outcomes.

In recognition of the urgency to educate both medical staff and patients on the importance of adhering to a medication regimen, Parkinson Canada had launched its ACT on Time campaign.

Now, its partnership with Catalyst is another step in its efforts to raise awareness and facilitate Parkinson’s patients’ adherence to a timely treatment regimen.

A tech company, Catalyst is developing digital health tools to enhance adherence to medication regimens. This includes a smartphone app called MyMedTimes and an in-home dispenser — known as spencer — which alerts patients to take their medication on time and as prescribed.

The MyMedTimes app allows people to get their medication information in real-time with their pharmacy, turning their mobile phones into medication managers. Patients can be guided on which medications to take and when, and pharmacists are able to monitor and intervene if necessary.

Spencer is an in-home medication dispenser that helps patients maintain adherence to their medication regimen. Moreover, it can capture patients’ feedback — establishing it as a two-way communication platform connecting patients, caregivers, and pharmacists.

“In 2017 the first Canadian — a grandfather with Parkinson’s disease — welcomed our spencer medication dispenser into his home. Since then, we proudly work with amazing pharmacists, caregivers, and patients to help medications be taken as prescribed,” Shane Bishop, Catalyst’s CEO, said in a press release.

“Catalyst is excited to partner Parkinson Canada which embodies the goal of living well with Parkinson’s,” Bishop added.

According to Parkinson Canada, the neurodegenerative disease affects more than 100,000 Canadians, with 25 new patients diagnosed each day. The nonprofit expects its partnership with Catalyst to enhance its ACT on Time campaign.

“Their pharmacy-programmed medication reminder and dispensing tools help people with Parkinson’s get their medications on time, every time,” said Karen Lee, president and CEO of Parkinson Canada.

“Through this partnership we’ll be promoting the use of spencer and MyMedTimes, but more than that we’ll be able to drive home the message to people with Parkinson’s and healthcare providers alike that medications on time, every time are a priority for Canadians with Parkinson’s,” Lee said.

As part of this partnership, Catalyst will share a percentage of the proceeds from its digital health tools to support Parkinson Canada and the organization’s annual SuperWalk.