Compliance and viewpoint of glaucoma patients in Greece

Purpose To document the prevalence of non-compliance and to investigate pat ients' perceptions concerning glaucoma in a Greek cohort. Methods We investigated 100 consecutive patients referred to our glaucoma c linic and already treated for chronic glaucoma. Compliance and patients' in sight were ascertained by two independent observers by means of a predeterm ined questionnaire. All patients were subsequently assessed for their abili ty to instil their eyedrops accurately. Results Fifty one per cent of our patients were not aware of the nature of glaucoma, but 80% were afraid it might lead to blindness. Clinically signif icant non-compliance (more than two doses missed per week) was established in 44% of our patients, Men and those using eyedrops more than 4 times a da y were more likely to default. Non-compliant patients exhibited higher mean intraocular pressure (22.9 vs 18.5 mmHg; p > 0.001) and worse visual field loss (10.8 vs 7.0 db; p = 0.008) compared with compliant patients. Involun tary non-compliance was also common in our group, with only 53% instilling their eye drops accurately. Conclusion Non-compliance is a significant limiting factor in glaucoma ther apy in Greece.