Publications by authors named "Gail F Schwartz"

Objective: Assess the real-world efficacy of netarsudil, either as monotherapy or concomitant therapy, in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT) requiring modification of intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering treatment.

Methods: Multicenter, prospective, interventional, open-label, Phase 4 study, clinical trial registration number: NCT03808688. Netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.

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Precis: Incremental addition of intraocular pressure-lowering topical drops is associated with shorter-lasting benefit and higher health-related costs with each additional agent, suggesting a need for new treatment options to improve disease control and reduce treatment burden.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment intensification as a driver of clinical and economic burden in patients receiving topical glaucoma medications for open-angle glaucoma/ocular hypertension.

Methods: This retrospective analysis of administrative claims data (January 2011 to July 2017) from the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus database included diagnosed patients who initiated or intensified treatment with 1 to 4 topical glaucoma medications of a different drug class between January 2012 and July 2015 (index date being the first such event during this period).

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Purpose: To characterize newly diagnosed primary open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients and to describe their treatment journey in United States clinical practice according to the use of topical therapy, laser trabeculoplasty, and surgical procedures.

Design: Retrospective claims database study.

Participants: Patients with at least 2 diagnoses of OAG 7 days or more apart and within 1 year, with the first (index) diagnosis in 2010, at least 30 months of continuous enrollment before index diagnosis with no OAG diagnosis or medication (exception for ocular hypertension diagnosis), and 48 months of continuous enrollment.

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Background: Effective control of intraocular pressure is predicated upon patient compliance with pharmacotherapy. We compared patient adherence and persistence with two new ocular hypotensive formulations, using real-world utilization data.

Methods: This observational cohort study employed pharmacy claims data from the Source(®) Lx (Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions) database.

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Objective: To evaluate eye drop administration by patients at multiple visits in the setting of a randomized controlled trial.

Study Design And Methods: Patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension were randomized to 12 weeks of treatment with topical ocular hypotensive medication in a multicenter, investigator-masked trial. At baseline, patients were given a questionnaire for self-assessment of difficulty with drop administration.

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Background/aim: To evaluate efficacy and safety of bimatoprost 0.03% preservative-free (PF) ophthalmic solution versus bimatoprost 0.03% (Lumigan) ophthalmic solution for glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

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Purpose: This study summarizes findings from objective assessments of compliance (or adherence) and persistence with ocular hypotensive agents in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Methods: A PubMed and reference list search was conducted across publication years 1970-2010, using these terms and variants: "compliance," the equivalent term "adherence," and "persistence" in patients with these conditions and therapies.

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Background: To investigate the clinical relevance of two different preservative formulations, we compared 1-year incidence rates of additional coding of dry eye, ocular infection, or ocular surface disease (either dry eye or ocular infection) in open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension patients newly treated with latanoprost with benzalkonium chloride (BAK) or with travoprost-Z with SofZia®.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of three U.S.

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Background: Prior research has demonstrated that medication persistence (continued acquisition of therapy over time) is far from optimal among patients with glaucoma. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate persistence with prostaglandin analogs among glaucoma patients in the first therapy year using a modification of a previously published technique.

Methods: This retrospective analysis of medical and pharmacy claims database included treatment-naive patients dispensed bimatoprost, latanoprost, or travoprost between 1/1/04-12/31/04.

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Aims: To develop a model to estimate and compare the cost of changing therapy due to hyperemia in glaucoma patients treated initially either with latanoprost, bimatoprost, or travoprost monotherapy.

Methods: Data collected from the HealthCore Integrated Research Database, as part of the Glaucoma Adherence and Persistency Study (GAPS), were used to populate the model. Patients with a documented diagnosis of glaucoma who were newly treated (no ocular hypotensive medication and no glaucoma-related procedure during 6 months before first prescription) with latanoprost, bimatoprost, or travoprost monotherapy were identified.

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Adherence and persistence with chronic therapies is crucial to prevent disease progression, such as in glaucoma. Patients report high rates of adherence, which are not supported by pharmacy claims analysis. This article reviews the literature regarding methods to assess adherence and persistence and the patient behaviors that pose challenges to proper treatment.

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Purpose: Persistence with ocular hypotensive medication is important as a long-term outcome, and rates of persistence typically are low. This study assessed restart rates for 3 prostaglandin analogs by determining the percentage of patients who discontinued and then restarted therapy.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of pharmacy claims submitted to a large national administrative claims database.

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Purpose Of Review: To summarize research published between 1980 and October 2004 regarding compliance (the extent to which patients' behaviors correspond with providers' recommendations) and persistency (total time on therapy) in patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension; to suggest approaches ophthalmologists might consider to improve compliance and persistency; and to identify areas warranting future research.

Recent Findings: Medication compliance, the focus of most compliance-related research, has been measured using a variety of methods including patient self-reports, the medication possession ratio, and electronic monitoring. Noncompliance rates of at least 25% commonly have been reported.

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Purpose: To evaluate persistency of pharmacotherapy in primary open-angle glaucoma suspects (glaucoma suspects) treated with latanoprost and timolol.

Design: Retrospective, cohort study using the Protocare Sciences managed care database; approximately 3 million members in commercial health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations and in Medicare risk plans.

Methods: Patients 20 years of age or older beginning therapy between January 1, 1997, and June 30, 2002, with latanoprost or timolol monotherapy were included.

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Purpose: To evaluate persistency with topical ocular hypotensive therapies in patients new to pharmacological management of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP).

Design: Retrospective, cohort study; Protocare Sciences managed care database; approximately 3 million members in commercial health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations and in Medicare risk plans.

Methods: Patients were at least 20 years of age initiating therapy between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2002, with betaxolol, bimatoprost, brimonidine, dorzolamide, latanoprost, timolol, or travoprost as monotherapy.

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Background: Open-angle glaucoma affects an estimated 33 million individuals worldwide. An intraocular pressure >21 mm Hg in individuals with no evidence of optic nerve damage is termed ocular hypertension, a risk factor for glaucoma that has been estimated to affect as many as 10% of individuals 40 years of age or older.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to assess persistency (time on therapy) with prostaglandin analogues in the treatment of glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

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Objective: To determine the importance that patients place on the characteristics of topical therapy for lowering intraocular pressure.

Methods: We administered a willingness-to-pay instrument to 230 patients from 4 glaucoma subspecialty practices, asking them how much they would be willing to pay to obtain particular characteristics in an eye drop. Data about the subjects' demographics, economic status, attitudes toward eye drops and systemic medications, and symptoms from eye drops were correlated with their willingness to pay using 2-part models.

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Investigators have developed methods to estimate the number of healthy days or symptom-free days in randomized trials or population-based settings. Such measures can be used in cost-effectiveness studies or disease management surveillance. This paper suggests that the concept can be extended to measure intraocular pressure (IOP)-controlled days in glaucoma by combining data from randomized trials on IOP control (ie, whether a target IOP or percent reduction in IOP was achieved) with data from pharmacy database studies on drug persistency.

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Background: Persistency with drug therapy reflects a number of factors, including patient tolerability of adverse events resulting from therapy and clinician satisfaction with the medication's effectiveness in reducing intraocular pressure.

Objective: This study assesses persistency with topical glaucoma medications administered as initial therapy by evaluating rates of discontinuation and change in therapy.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using pharmacy claims data from 3 geographically diverse healthcare plans.

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