title: Clinicians' perspectives on the use of drug-eluting contact lenses for the treatment of glaucoma.
abstract: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The perspective of clinicians who treat the disease is important and may ultimately dictate the adoption of new treatment modalities, such as drug-eluting contact lenses. Recent advances have enabled contact lenses to serve as a sustained-release drug-delivery platform capable of treating glaucoma. This review covers the medical treatment of glaucoma, suboptimal adherence rates to treatment, and factors that may influence the clinical applicability of drug-eluting contact lenses. Ophthalmologists who treat glaucoma were surveyed to determine their perspective on treatment adherence, bandage contact lens use and the use of a drug-eluting contact lens to treat glaucoma. Given the challenge of treating glaucoma and the clinical need for improved drug delivery, drug-eluting contact lenses appear to be a promising treatment option.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Elise V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kalout
authors.forename: Louis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Pasquale
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kohane
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ciolino
mesh_terms: D060433:Administration, Ophthalmic; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D055118:Medication Adherence; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations