Frequency of Use of Fixed-Combination Eye Drops by Patients with Glaucoma at Multiple Private Practices in Japan

PURPOSE: To investigate the current use of fixed-combination eye drops by patients with glaucoma in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 5303 outpatients (5303 eyes) with glaucoma or ocular hypertension were enrolled in the survey at 78 private practices from March 8 to 14, 2020. The medications they used were investigated. The use of fixed-combination medications was analyzed, stratified by the number of medications used. The results were compared to those of the survey performed in 2016 via χ(2) tests. RESULTS: Fixed-combination medications were used by 55.6%, 79.8%, 84.9%, 91.3%, and 94.1% of patients in the two-, three-, four-, five, and six-medications groups. The use of prostaglandin analog/β-blocker (PG/β), carbonic anhydrase inhibitor/β-blocker (CAI/β), and α-2-adrenergic agonist/β-blocker (α2/β) fixed-combination medications were 42.8%, 12.0%, and 0.8% in the two-medications group; 36.2%, 41.6%, and 2.0% in the three-medications group; and 23.5%, 60.1%, and 1.3% in the four-medications group, respectively. The most commonly used fixed-combination medications were PG/β in the two-medications group and CAI/β in the groups using three or more medications. Compared to those in the survey performed in 2016, there were increases (both P < 0.0001) in the use of PG/β fixed-combination medication in the two- (28.7% to 42.8%) and three-medications (21.7% to 36.2%) groups, and none in the use of CAI/β fixed-combination medication. There was little use of α2/β fixed-combination medication, probably because it was launched only three months before the survey. CONCLUSION: The proportion of fixed-combination medications increased as the number of medications per patient increased.