ABSTRACT
Background: The high costs of adequate pharmacological treatment for Parkinson disease preclude the universal access of patients to this medication. Aim: To assess the accessibility to pharmacological treatment of Chilean patients with Parkinson disease. Patients and methods: An inquiry about socioeconomic stratification, medical controls, disease features and costs of pharmacological therapy, was applied to 95 patients (56 male, aged 32 to 89 years old) attending the Chilean League Against Parkinson Disease. Results: Among studied patients, the disease had a mean duration of 7.9ñ6 years. There was a direct relationship between family income, the frequency of visits to physicians and the dose and cost of pharmacological therapy. Conclusions: The accessibility to pharmacological therapy among patients with Parkinson disease, depends on their socioeconomic level. Measures to correct this situation and improve the quality of life of these patients should be undertaken by health services