Changes in Trend of Newly Prescribed Anti-Glaucoma Medications in Recent Nine Years in a Japanese Local Community

PURPOSE: To investigate changes in the trend of anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions in 2000-2008 in a Japanese local community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects of this study were patients with glaucoma who were registered in the database of the glaucoma clinic of University of Yamanashi Hospital or the database of the Association for Research in Supporting System of Chronic Diseases (ARSSCD). The trend of newly prescribed anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions from January 2000 through July 2008 was analyzed. Changes in the trend of anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions and the persistence of each anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solution were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 1,955 glaucoma patients were enrolled. Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) significantly reduced by year (R(2)=0.7938, p<0.001). The number of new prescriptions for analysis in the study period was 7,831. Prostaglandin (PG) analogues accounted for approximately 40% of the prescriptions during the period, and were followed by beta-blockers and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs). Those three anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions accounted for approximately 90% of all the prescriptions. Latanoprost showed the longest persistence among the anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions. The number of newly prescribed anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions gradually increased with time. CONCLUSIONS: PG analogues are the most frequently prescribed and latanoprost showed the longest persistence among the anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions. PG analogues, beta-blockers, and CAIs accounted for the majority of newly prescribed anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions. An increase in the number of newly prescribed anti-glaucoma ophthalmic solutions may contribute to further IOP reduction.