Patients equally happy with mono- and combination therapy

Timolol, latanoprost, and the fixed combinations of latanoprost/timolol (Xalcom; Pfizer) and dorzolamide/timolol (Cosopt; Merck) have equal efficacy and tolerability as well as equal levels of patient satisfaction, according to a study published online, ahead of print, by Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.

Henny J. M. Beckers, MD, PhD of the Department of Ophthalmology, Maastricht University Hospital, the Netherlands and colleagues studied subjects (n=3333) at nine hospitals, who completed questionnaires, to monitor and compare frequency and severity of side effects, patient satisfaction and the rate of medication change requests. The questionnaires used in this study were based on the Comparison of Ophthalmic Medications for Tolerability (COMTOL) questionnaire.

On a scale of 0–320, the median side effect score was 58; the rate of medication change requests was 9%. The drugs demonstrated similar levels of tolerability, and 79% of subjects reported that they were satisfied with their medication.

As patient satisfaction and tolerability levels were similar across the range of prescribed medications, the researchers concluded that the levels of treatment discontinuation were low, and did not differ between drugs.