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Personalize glaucoma treatments, physician advises
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WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Physicians should tailor glaucoma medication regimens to their patient as much as possible, according to a physician speaking here.
“There is a Chinese restaurant menu of glaucoma medications out there,” said Alexander Kent, MD, who spoke at Hawaii 2002, the Royal Hawaiian Eye Meeting, sponsored by Ocular Surgery News and the New England Eye Center. “You need to personalize the treatment.”
Dr. Kent advised attendees to scrutinize carefully which medications are best suited to the patient. “First of all, you need to figure out if the treatment is needed. Then identify the target pressure, initiate monotherapy and document its effect,” he said.
Dr. Kent said compliance is also a factor in evaluating which treatment is best, especially when the patient is on combination therapy.
“Consider the time it takes if patients are taking four medications. They’re taking a beta blocker four times per day; a prostaglandin once a day; an alpha agonist twice per day; and a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor three times per day … that can total to up to 1 hour and 10 minutes [to administer the medications] per day,” Dr. Kent said.
The physician should also consider the patient’s tolerance of the medication; whether the patient has a physical disability such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease; and the cost to the patient.
“Design a therapy that the patient can handle in all respects, and keep it simple,” he said.