Drops first, laser treatment second, and surgery third. That’s been the traditional treatment pathway for glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Around eight million prescriptions for medications, generally eye drops, are written in the UK each year for this condition and are often effective (Connor and Fraser, 2014). Around a third of UK patients need more than one type of drop (Moorfields, 2015) and long-term use is associated with significant side effects (Waterman et al, 2013). 

Irritation, red eyes, iris colour changes, and hyperpigmentation of eyelid skin can all lead patients to leave drops unused, and non-compliance rates can be as high as 50% (NICE, 2017a).