title: Treatment patterns and medication adherence of patients with glaucoma in South Korea.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate treatment patterns and medication adherence of glaucoma. It also identified key factors associated with non-adherence.
  
  
  
  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.
  
  
  
  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).
  
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chan Yun
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jaehong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Douk
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Sungmo Eye Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Soong
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Mo
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Kong Eye Clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Woo
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Yeon
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Chonnam National University Medical School & Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Kim's Eye Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Rim
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chungkwon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jinhye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Glaucoma; Treatment Medical