Question

8. 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

Explain briefly that glaucoma is usually progressive and can worsen without symptoms; stopping or changing drops without the eye doctor's advice can raise intraocular pressure and cause irreversible vision loss. Offer to counsel him on the importance of continuing therapy, check adherence/side effects, and recommend he contact his ophthalmologist before making any changes. Options A, C and D are inappropriate because they encourage stopping or altering therapy without a clinician's direction or rely on vision changes (which are a poor indicator of glaucoma control).