Many glaucoma patients don't take medication properly

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study suggests that nearly half of patients on medication for glaucoma don't actually take their medication correctly.
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness but fortunately it can be slowed and visual loss prevented by eye drops. A study from Johns Hopkins University now reveals that in fact many glaucoma patients do not comply with their medication regime, even though their doctors believe they do.

In a survey, one third were taking their eye drops less often than prescribed. A quarter delayed refilling their prescriptions. One fifth did not fill their prescriptions at all and another fifth stopped their medication sooner than they were supposed to. This means that non-compliance is a bigger problem than previously realized. It probably leads many patients who otherwise wouldn't to lose their sight. Clearly more has to be done to encourage patients to take glaucoma medication as directed.

Source
Ophthalmology May 2005

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