Slide Library

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of legal blindness among working-age adults. Projected increases in diabetes prevalence suggest that DR will continue to contribute to vision loss for many years. Diabetes carries an especially heavy economic burden: in 2002, total US healthcare costs for diabetes were estimated at $132 billion. Estimates suggest that DR accounts for approximately 10% to 42% of lifetime direct medical costs resulting from diabetes complications, but indirect costs may be much higher. Surgical treatments have been proven to treat DR but are only indicated for patients with severe disease. A number of pharmacological treatments are currently in development for this common and debilitating complication. This program will highlight the social and economic burdens imposed by DR and educate managed care pharmacists on emerging medical treatments for DR that have the potential to dramatically change clinical care.