16 August 2016
Younger glaucoma patients may be the most in need of reminders of the importance of consistent medication use, according to a new UK study.
NHS researchers in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire analysed the records of 206 patients who had been prescribed medications to treat their glaucoma at one general practice.
The patients ranged from 22 years old to 100 years old. The research, published in a paper in the journal Eye, compared the number of prescriptions collected against the number of prescriptions required over a year to meet the treatment regime.
The researchers found that the younger patients were significantly less likely to collect the number of prescriptions required to properly adhere to treatment guidelines. Age was the only factor found to be significant in the analysis, the paper highlighted.
The team cautioned that: “Older patients require more prescriptions and may be experiencing drop wastage.
“Younger patients should be targeted with educational interventions to improve their understanding of glaucoma, and older patients for drop technique review,” the researchers concluded.
Image credit: Mary Hutchison
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