Table 1

Characteristics of people initiating glaucoma medicines (2014–2019), included in persistence analysis

N%
Total34 900100
Sex
 Female18 36652.6
 Male16 53447.4
Age group, years
 18–3432239.2
 35–49349510.0
 50–64898425.7
 65–74965927.7
 75–84706820.3
 85+24717.1
Medicine class
 Prostaglandin analogues14 72542.2
 Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors806223.1
 Sympathomimetics355410.2
 Beta blocking agents26997.7
 Multiple medicine classes16634.8
 Para-sympathomimetics6061.7
Fixed dose combinations (all)*359110.3
 PA and BB15604.5
 SYM and BB12073.5
 CAI and BB5901.7
 CAI and SYM2340.7
Prescriber type
 Ophthalmologist18 08551.8
 General practitioner615217.6
 Other†497914.3
 Unknown‡568416.3
Number of repeats prescribed at initiation
 010 51130.1
 1–3430012.3
 4–620 08957.6
Number of dispensing in the first 12 months of initiation of treatment
 112 59736.1
 2–912 96137.1
 10+934226.8
Died during study period
 Yes25607.3
 No32 34092.7

  • *The total number of fixed-dose combinations initiated, overall and stratified by combination are presented.

  • †All other specialities.

  • ‡Prescriber type is missing for 16% of dispensing records.

  • BB, beta blocker; CAI, carbonic anhydrase inhibitor; PA, prostaglandin analogue; SYM, sympathomimetic.