Prescription Burden of Anti-Glaucoma Drugs in Pakistan

According to the World Health Organization, glaucoma is one of the primary causes of permanent vision impairment and blindness, accounting for 13% of global blindness and adding 2.4 million new cases every year. Glaucoma affected 64.3 million people worldwide in 2013, grew to 76.0 million in 2020, and is anticipated to reach 111.8 million by 2040. Patients' socioeconomic position is mostly determined by a mix of factors such as their residence, educational level, monthly or annual income, overall wealth, and occupation. Many studies have found that those in the lower socioeconomic strata have a larger percentage of glaucoma patients.

Glaucoma has a severe impact on one's financial situation. The cost of treatment, whether direct or indirect, is related in some way to the severity of glaucoma and the number of medications utilized. In terms of public health, the burden of disease and medications are more important than the presence and prevalence of a condition. Glaucoma management has a significant and widespread impact on society, particularly in terms of morbidity and productivity, consultations, and medical expenditures, because glaucoma sufferers must take medicine for the rest of their lives. Because such studies are lacking in Pakistan, it is critical to collect data on the socio-economic situation of glaucoma patients, with a special focus on those with comorbidities.

A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of glaucoma, Al-Shifa trust eye hospital (A tertiary care eye hospital), Rawalpindi Pakistan. Patients visiting glaucoma clinics who were over the age of 20 and either gender met the inclusion criteria. On a specially developed form, information was collected (face to face) from patients or through their attendants (by obtaining prior consent). A thorough history was collected, including the principal complaint and any family history of glaucoma or other eye illness. Patients' socioeconomic class was determined using a system created by Kuppuswamy known as the scale of Kuppuswamy urban (1976), which was then updated by several researchers. The monthly income categories scale was further changed in PKR to meet our needs, as Mughal et al. had done.

A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of glaucoma, Al-Shifa trust eye hospital (A tertiary care eye hospital), Rawalpindi Pakistan. Patients visiting glaucoma clinics who were over the age of 20 and either gender met the inclusion criteria. On a specially developed form, information was collected (face to face) from patients or through their attendants (by obtaining prior consent). A thorough history was collected, including the principal complaint and any family history of glaucoma or other eye illness. Patients' socioeconomic class was determined using a system created by Kuppuswamy known as the scale of Kuppuswamy urban (1976), which was then updated by several researchers. The monthly income categories scale was further changed in PKR to meet our needs, as Mughal et al. had done.

Antiglaucoma medications were used by 35.2, 23.4, and 14.6% of patients, respectively. In the trial, eye drops containing more than one medicine (Fixed-dose combination) were treated as a single treatment.

Based on the findings of current study, infer that the majority of our glaucoma patients were poor, elderly, and illiterate, had many ailments, and were reliant on others. They were using a variety of medications to treat glaucoma, hypertension, diabetes, and other systemic diseases.

JOURNAL REFERENCE

Sadiq, M., M. Ali, Abdullah, W. Ahmad, M.A. Khan and F. Akhtar, 2022. A cross-sectional study on socioeconomic status of glaucoma patients and prescription burden of antiglaucoma drugs in Pakistan. Int. J. Pharmacol., 18: 207-214.