SWAP: the safety and tolerability of switching from donepezil tablets to rivastigmine transdermal patch in Alzheimer's disease

Introduction: Switching medications is common for many reasons, particularly safety/tolerability issues. The SWAP study (SWitch from Aricept to Patch) evaluates the safety/tolerability of two drug switching paradigms in AD: switching from donepezil to rivastigmine patch immediately versus after a 7-day wash-out. This study also evaluates the safety/tolerability of rivastigmine patch-memantine therapy. Hypothesis: Switching from donepezil to rivastigmine patch is safe and tolerable with no statistical differences in adverse event rates between immediate switch and a 7-day wash-out. Methods: A 5-week, open-label s…