guidelines

parkinson's disease: diagnosis, first-line treatment, and medication safety

a nice ng71-aligned practical summary for primary care: recognising parkinsonism, referral, first-line treatment choices (levodopa vs dopamine agonists/mao-b inhibitors), non-motor symptoms, and medicines safety.

last reviewed: 2026-02-13

based on: NICE NG71 (published 19 Jul 2017)

reviewer: Dr Kola Tytler MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGP

view official NICE source

Common questions (GP-focused)

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This page is an educational, clinician-written summary of publicly available NICE guidance intended for trained healthcare professionals. It uses original wording (not copied text) and should be used alongside the full NICE source, local pathways, and clinical judgement. Doses provided are for general reference; always check the BNF/SPC.