Are you Missing your Glaucoma Medications?
- drgunjandeshpande
- Jan 2, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 3, 2023
Glaucoma is a preventable cause of blindness if timely, effective and successful treatment is provided. Patient adherence to medical therapy is a challenge that is now recognized as an essential component of treatment.
Compliance is often defined as how well patients follow physicians' recommendations.
What is Compliance in Glaucoma Therapy?
Several studies have shown that patients are more likely to be adherent to their medication if they understand the disease and the rationale for treatment and if their treatment regimen is simplified. However, it is important for individuals with glaucoma to be consistent and compliant with their eye drop regimen in order to effectively manage their condition. Insufficient compliance may lead to disease progression through under-treatment and also by introducing IOP variability throughout the day.
'Medication delivery systems may improve efficacy, decrease adverse effects, increase patient adherence and, ultimately, maintain vision for glaucoma patients'
What can be done to Improve Adherence to Glaucoma Therapy?
Eye drop compliance can be a challenge for many patients. Some may find it difficult to remember to take their eye drops on schedule, while others may have trouble administering the drops properly. Here are some tips to help improve eye drop compliance:
1. Set reminders:
The most common reason for poor adherence is forgetfulness. Use a phone or computer reminder, or ask a family member or caregiver to remind you to take your eye drops.
Try linking the schedule with any other thing that you do on a daily basis. Something which doesn't need a reminder like your favourite TV show/ news or mealtime. The moment it begins, you will be reminded of taking the medicine.
Try using a calendar when you use your drops or moving your eye drop bottle from one place to another after you've applied your drops. You can also set alarms on your phone or use smartphone apps widely available for the same.
2. Keep your eye drops in a visible and accessible location:
Place your eye drops in a location where you will see them regularly, such as on the kitchen counter or dining table or along with your diabetes/high BP medicines.
You may also place them at your workstation so that you do not miss dosage while working on your job.
Some medicines require cold chain maintenance, do clarify with your doctor about the same.
3. Instilling eyedrop appropriately:
Giving yourself eye drops can be challenging. In fact, research has shown that nearly 30% of people taking glaucoma medication are not properly instilling their eye drops.
You should gently pull the lower lid to make a pocket and instil one single drop. Once the drops are in, close your eyes (do not blink) and apply pressure to the point where the lids meet the nose for 2-3 minutes.
4. Ask your doctor for assistance:
If you are having trouble administering your eye drops, ask your doctor for guidance. They can teach you proper technique and may be able to suggest alternative methods of administering the drops.
Be candid with your doctor about any problems you face in taking your medicine regularly and ask about the best way to make up for a missed dose. The more you tell your doctor, the better he or she can help you find ways to customize your treatment plan to make it more manageable for your lifestyle.
5. Be consistent:
It is important to take your eye drops at the same time each day to ensure that the pressure in your eye is consistently controlled.
'Maximizing patient adherence to medication has the potential to reduce the number of surgical interventions required to treat glaucoma, prevent unnecessary vision loss, and save the overall healthcare system money in the long run'
By following these tips, you can help to ensure that you are consistent and compliant with your eye drop regimen, which can help to manage your glaucoma and prevent further vision loss. It is also important to regularly visit your healthcare provider for follow-up appointments to monitor the effectiveness of your treatment and make any necessary adjustments.
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