Treatment patterns and medication adherence of patients with glaucoma in South Korea. Issue 6 (7th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, Chan Yun; Park, Ki Ho; Ahn, Jaehong; Ahn, Myung-Douk; Cha, Soon Cheol; Kim, Ho Soong; Kim, Joon Mo; Kim, Moon Jung; Kim, Tae-Woo; Kim, Yong Yeon; Lee, Ji Woong; Park, Sang-Woo; Sohn, Yong Ho; Sung, Kyung Rim; Yoo, Chungkwon; Cha, Jinhye; Kim, Young-Joo
• Is Part Of: British journal of ophthalmology. Volume 101:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 801
• Page End: 807
• Publication Date: 2017-03-07
• Subjects: Glaucoma -- Treatment Medical; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; 617.7
• DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2016-308505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1161

Abstract

Abstract : Background/aims: This study aimed to investigate treatment patterns and medication adherence of glaucoma. It also identified key factors associated with non-adherence. Methods: It was a cross-sectional, observational study. Patients who use eye-drops for ≤2 years were recruited at 15 eye clinics from March to November 2013. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and medical chart review. Medication adherence was evaluated using patients' self-report on pill count and defined as patients' administering drug for ≥80% of prescribed days. Medication adherence rate was calculated by dividing actual number of administration from total prescribed number of administration for 7 days. Patients whose self-reported prescription was different from total daily doses of physicians' prescription were considered as non-adherent. Results: A total of 1050 patients included, and medication adherence rate was evaluated in 1046 patients whose verification of adherence was available. Of the total, 27.4% were non-adherent, and the medication adherence rates of the total, the adherent, and the non-adherent were 90.6±17.8%, 96.8±5.5% and 56.6±24.7%, respectively. The most commonly used medication was prostaglandin (PGA) alone and the second was combination of two-class (β-blocker and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI)) and three-class combination of PGA, β-blocker and CAI followed. In multivariate analysis, the risk of non-adherence was 1.466 times greater in males than in females (95% CI 1.106 to 1.943) and 1.328-fold greater as the daily number of administration was increased (95% CI 1.186 to 1.487). Conclusion: Approximately, one-third of the patients were non-adherent, and males and increased daily number of administration were associated with non-adherence. It highlights that more systematic treatment strategies should be considered for better medication adherence, leading to effective glaucoma management.