Comparison of Eye Drop Instillation Before and After Use of Drop Application Strips in Glaucoma Patients on Chronic Topical Therapy

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of using drop application strips on eye drop instillation in glaucoma patients on chronic topical ocular hypotensive therapy. Methods: A total of 72 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with an uncorrected visual acuity of 3/60 or more, self-administering topical antiglaucoma medication for >1 year were evaluated. One eye of each patient was included in the study. Patients were instructed to instill 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose drop in 1 eye. They were then instructed to instill the same drop using the drop application strips. Results: Mean age of the patients included in the study was 50.39 +/- 12.04 years. Before assistance of drop application strips, 35 (48.61%) patients placed the drop into the eye without any contact of the dropper nozzle, and, after application of the drop application strips, 66 (91.67%) patients placed the drop in the eye without any contact (P = 0.025). The number of patients putting the first drop of drug into the eye without spilling over the adenexae increased from 30 (41.67%) to 45 (62.5%) after application of the strip (P < 0.001). The mean number of drops instilled to get 1 drop into the eye decreased from 2 +/- 0.95 to 1.56 +/- 0.78 when the drop application strip was used (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Use of a drop application strip causes a significant decrease in contact of the eye drop bottle nozzle with the eyeball and eyelid, decreases the number of drops instilled to get 1 drop into the eye, and is associated with an overall improvement in eye drop instillation.