Switching from an oral dopamine receptor agonist to rotigotine transdermal patch: a review of clinical data with a focus on patient perspective

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Dopamine receptor agonists (DAs) are commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD) and restless legs syndrome (RLS). In certain situations, switching from oral DAs to rotigotine transdermal patch may be beneficial for the patient (e.g., optimal symptom control/side effects/perioperative management, preference for once-daily/non-oral administration, RLS augmentation treatment).Areas covered: This narrative review summarizes available data on DA dose equivalency, dose conversions, switching schedules, safety, tolerability, efficacy and patient treatment preferences of switching from oral DAs to rotigotine (and vice versa) in patients with PD/RLS. The studies were identified in a PubMed search (up to 8 November 2016) using terms (‘dopamine receptor agonist’ OR ‘rotigotine’) AND ‘switch’.Expert commentary: Randomized controlled studies often do not address the challenges clinicians face in practice, e.g., switching medications within the same class when dosing is not a one-to-one ratio...