Compliance of Glaucoma Patients to Ocular Hypotensive Medications Among the Saudi Population

To evaluate the compliance of glaucoma patients to medical treatment and its impact on the intraocular pressure (IOP) and to verify the associated risk factors for noncompliance.

All recruited patients were examined at the ophthalmology clinics of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between May and August 2012. Patients were interviewed and subjected to answer a questionnaire that was developed based on a pilot test. Collected data included age, gender, number of prescribed drugs, and different reasons for noncompliance to the prescribed drugs.

Noncompliance was detected in 18 (19.4%) of the recruited patients. Factors associated with noncompliance demonstrated a trend toward older patients, males, patients with lower IOP at presentation, higher cup to disc ratio, and drug self-administering patients. However, the only statistically significant characteristic was being under lifelong medications (P = 0.005).

Noncompliance was detected in around one-fifth of our glaucoma patients, particularly, the older group. Awareness programs, maintaining good patient-physician relationship, and personalizing treatment can lead to better adherence to treatment.