Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neuro-degenerative disorder characterized by slowness, stiffness, resting tremor, gait impairment, and postural instability. Levodopa is the most potent pharmacologic agent for symptom management and is associated with an increase in quality of life and longevity for patients with PD, but chronic use causes motor complications. The availability of several newer types of agents--dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors--gives physicians increased flexibility with regard to first-line therapy, adjunct therapy, and managing or reducing the frequency of motor complications and other side effects associated with chronic levodopa therapy.