Very interesting....

Many glaucoma patients don't take medication properly, Journal of Ophthalmology
02 May 2005

A study that appears in the May edition of Ophthalmology, the clinical journal
of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, shows that as many as 47 percent of
patients receiving glaucoma therapy do not comply with their doctor's prescribed
medicine regimen. This is in startling contrast to the 90 percent of doctors who
believe that their patients are following the prescribed treatment.

"Non-adherence to the glaucoma therapy is probably what causes patients to go
blind," said Alan L. Robin, M.D., author of the study and Academy member. "Cost
of medications, multiple medications, confusing instructions all contribute to a
patient's non-compliance to their therapy."

Dr. Robin refers to a 2003 Harris poll that illustrates this emerging health
concern:

-- One-third of patients surveyed took their medications less often than
directed
-- One-quarter delayed refilling prescriptions
-- One-fifth failed to fill prescriptions
-- One-fifth stopped taking a medication sooner than prescribed

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that worldwide, fifty percent of
patients take medications improperly, at a global cost of more than $100 billion
in resulting hospital admissions and lost productivity.

Dr. Robin's study compares medication refill rates for two groups of glaucoma
patients. The first group takes a single medication for one year without needing
a second medication to control intraocular pressure. The second group takes the
same single glaucoma medication for one year, but then a second glaucoma
medication is added for an additional year. As soon as a second medication is
added, approximately one-half of the second group delayed refilling
prescriptions of the first medication by 5 days or more, and 22 percent waited
an additional 15 days or more to pick up their pills.

"Non-compliance is a bigger problem then we imagined, and glaucoma therapy is
only the tip of the iceberg," added Dr. Robin. "It becomes a life-and-death
situation for doctors to educate and motivate their patients on their therapy
and with glaucoma; this may lead to visual disability and blindness."

Dr. Robin's study suggests that eye diseases including glaucoma are one of the
five conditions at the bottom of the medical condition adherence list. The four
other ailments include renal and pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and sleep
disorders.

Dr. Robin is an associate professor at both the Johns Hopkins University Schools
of Medicine and Public Health. To schedule an interview with Dr. Robin, or to
request a copy of the study titled "Does Adjunctive Glaucoma Therapy Affect
Adherence to the Initial Primary Therapy?" please contact the Academy's media
relations department at 415-561-8534, or at media@aao.org.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association of eye
physicians and surgeons--Eye M.D.s--with more than 27,000 members. To find an
Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at http://www.aao.org.

Contact: Media Relations
media@aao.org
415-561-8534
American Academy of Ophthalmology
http://www.aao.org

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Norman
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