Question

Daniel, age 72, comes to the pharmacy to refill his glaucoma eye drops. While chatting, he says, “My vision hasn't changed in months, so I think the glaucoma is gone. I might stop using the drops after this bottle.” Which of the following is the most appropriate response?
A. “That's a good idea; one less medication would alleviate your treatment burden.”
B. “The pharmacist can better explain why stopping your drops may cause vision loss.”
C. “That's great to hear, but you should only reduce use to every other day instead.”
D. “You can only safely stop all your glaucoma medications once your vision improves.”

Answer 1

B

You should not encourage stopping or suggest changing the regimen yourself. The pharmacist (or other clinician) should explain that glaucoma is usually a chronic, often asymptomatic condition where stopping drops can raise intraocular pressure and cause irreversible vision loss. Advise he continue the drops and contact his ophthalmologist before making any changes; offer to review side effects, adherence help, or cost alternatives if those are reasons he wants to stop.