Compliance to Medical Therapy of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in Enugu

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to determinethe rate of compliance to medical therapy of primary open angle glaucoma in Enugu with a view to improving patient care and reducing visual deterioration and loss from glaucoma.
Method: One hundred and five patients were reviewed from the glaucoma patients who came to the clinic for follow up. They were all examined to make sure that they met the inclusion criteria, and then a standard questionnaire was filled for each patient from information obtained by direct questioning and also from the case records. A 2 by 2 table approach was used to explore the relationship between the variables. Both Z test and Chisquared test and the associated P value were used as the basis for approximate tests of significance.
Results: The study shows that poor compliance to medical therapy occurred in 42.2% of the patients, mostly those in the older age groups and those who had no knowledge of the nature of the disease and its treatment. Other factors leading to poor compliance were poor understanding of the doctor's instructions on how to use the drugs, high drug cost, non-availability of drugs and side effects of medication. Single drug therapy gave a good compliance rate but even this was compromised when it was combined with other drugs especially, when they had to be administered frequently.

Keywords: Primary Glaucoma; Medical Therapy; Compliance.