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.