Generics improve compliance in glaucoma patients

Ann Arbor, MI-Compliance is a common concern with glaucoma patients, but a study recently published in Ophthalmology found that generic medication may help increase adherence, possibly due to lower cost.

Name-brand prostaglandin analogues (PGAs) often cost significantly more than their generic counterparts, and researchers suspected the high price may have an effect on compliance. When the first generic PGA, latanoprost (branded as Xalatan, Pfizer), debuted in the U.S. in 2011, it was priced to save a patient $1,300 per year over name-brand products.

“For patients who appear to be struggling with taking their medication as directed, switching to generic formulations whenever possible may help improve their adherence,” says Joshua Stein, MD, MS, lead author on the study, exclusively speaking to Optometry Times.

Related: Improve the quality of life of glaucoma patients

Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School and University of Michigan College of Pharmacy examined data from 8,427 glaucoma patients for the 18 months before and after latanoprost became available. All of the study participants were taking name-brand PGAs prior to the availability of generic latanoprost, but after the generic drug’s introduction, some stayed on the name-brand medications while others shifted to the generic drug.

Internal server error