Patient Co-operation is Essential to Achieve IOP-Lowering and Successful Outcomes

Pearls Manager: Hari Jayaram

Adherence and continued usage of (“persistence”) prescribed glaucoma management is necessary to achieve sustained IOP lowering and the reduction in risk of glaucoma progression.

Common obstacles to glaucoma medication adherence include:

• Medication related eg. costs, side effects, complexity of regime • Individual related eg. lifestyle and work patterns, memory, co-morbidity, stage of disease • Clinician related eg. lack of explanation

Adherence may be improved by simplifying the drop regime, patient education, improved communication and the setting of alarms/messages.

EGS Guidelines, 5th Edition, Pages 155-156

Reference:

Waterman H, Evans JR, Gray TA, Henson D, Harper R. Interventions for improving adherence to ocular hypotensive therapy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Apr 30;(4):CD006132.