Abstract

A STUDY OF PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF MEDICAL THERAPY IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS

Dr. Akanksha Mahajan*, Dr. Anita K. Gupta, Dr. Gursatinder Singh

Abstract

Background: Glaucoma is a highly prevalent chronic vision debilitating disease that affects millions of people throughout the world. Prescribing pattern studies are vital in diseases like glaucoma for promotion of rational use of drugs, for increasing the therapeutic efficacy and the cost effectiveness, for decreasing the adverse effects and to provide feedback to the prescribers. Aim: To study the prescription pattern trends of different anti-glaucoma medications. Design: An observational, cross sectional Stud. Method: Prescriptions of 200 glaucoma patients attending ophthalmology OPD, Rajindra Hospital, Patiala were analyzed for group and prescription percentage of anti glaucoma drugs. Results: In 200 glaucoma patients included in our study, a total of 21 anti-glaucoma medications were prescribed either as monotherapy or as a part of polytherapy. The most frequently prescribed drug was timolol with prescription percentage of 66% and the least frequently prescribed drugs were levobunolol and betaxalol , each of these with a prescription percentage of 2.5%. Dorzolamide +timolol (10.5%) were the most commonly prescribed fixed dose combination. Among the groups, beta blockers (71%) were the most commonly prescribed group of anti-glaucoma medications, while cholinomimetics (8.5%) were the least commonly prescribed. Conclusion: Beta blockers remain the foremost prescribed drug for treatment of glaucoma. A higher trend is also observed for prescriptions of fixed dose combination in recent prescribing patterns.

Keywords: Glaucoma, prescription pattern, beta blockers, hypotensive lipids, alpha agonist, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, cholinomimetics, FDCs.