ObjectiveLow vision that causes forfeiture of driver’s licenses and collection of disability pension benefits can lead to negative psychosocial and economic consequences. The purpose of this study was to review the requirements for holding a driver’s license and rules for obtaining a disability pension due to low vision. Results highlight the possibility of using a milestone approach to describe progressive eye disease.MethodsGovernment and research reports, websites, and journal articles were evaluated to review rules and requirements in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, the UK, and the US.ResultsVisual acuity limits are present in all driver’s license regulations. In most countries, the visual acuity limit is 0.5. Visual field limits are included in some driver’s license regulations. In Europe, binocular visual field requirements typically follow the European Union standard of ≥120°. In the US, the visual field requirements are typically between 110° and 140°. Some countries distinguish between being partially sighted and blind in the definition of legal blindness, and in others there is only one limit.ConclusionsLoss of driving privileges could be used as a milestone to monitor progressive eye disease. Forfeiture could be standardized as a best-corrected visual acuity of <0.5 or visual field of <120°, which is consistent in most countries. However, requirements to receive disability pensions were too variable to standardize as milestones in progressive eye disease. Implementation of the World Health Organization criteria for low vision and blindness would help to establish better comparability between countries.

Patients affected by chronic renal failure often complain of blurred vision when submitted to hemodialysis. Refraction, visual acuity and lens transparency have been evaluated in 36 eyes of 18 patients who underwent hemodialysis, before and after the treatment. Student’s t test did not prove any statistically significant difference between the considered parameters. However, a change in refraction was noted in 64% of the eyes, always in hyperopic mean. Corrective glasses had to be changed to ensure the same visual acuity as before the hemodialytic treatment. Particular care must be taken in lens prescription in those patients who could undergo dialysis for chronic renal failure.

The Lens Opacity Meter 701 measures the lens density quantifying the back light scatter of the lens. The instrument emits a modulated dark-red beam which runs along the optic axis of the lens. The stray light is converted into an electrical impulse which is displayed and printed using a numerical scale. The lens density in a normal population was investigated with this instrument in order to study the influence of age on the opacification process.

. Purpose:  The aim of the present study was to investigate how the medical treatment of glaucoma changed between 1997 and 2002, since the advent of prostaglandin derivatives, with regard to drug prescriptions and pharmaceutical costs. Methods:  A study was made of medical prescriptions for 2228 patients with glaucoma and/or ocular hypertension, in order to investigate the following: (i) the antiglaucoma drugs most commonly prescribed in 1997 and 2002, and any differences between the drugs prescribed in these 2 years; (ii) the number of drugs used per patient in 1997 and 2002, respectively, and (iii) any increase in the prescribing of antiglaucoma drugs and their relative costs from 1997 to 2002. Results:  From 1997 to 2002 there was a sharp drop in the prescribing of β‐blockers (79% in 1997 and 55% in 2002). A marked increase in the use of prostaglandin derivatives (0% in 1997 and 18% in 2002) was registered and a marked increase in the prescribing of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (5% in 1997 and 14% in 2002) was also noted. From 1997 to 2002 there was a trend towards drug addition rather than substitution, so that the number of drugs used per patient increased. The number of patients treated increased enormously (by 98%) from 1997 to 2002. The cost of medical therapy from 1997 to 2002 rose dramatically, with an increase of 148.9% per patient. Conclusion:  The availability of prostaglandin derivatives has strongly influenced the medical approach to glaucoma. This class of drugs will soon become the type most commonly prescribed for patients with glaucoma and/or ocular hypertension. The increased number of treatments also suggests that the approach of ophthalmologists towards these diseases has changed. Ocular hypertension, as well as glaucoma, is now treated more aggressively. Given the increase in the prescription of prostaglandin derivatives, the pharmaceutical cost of treatment has risen dramatically.

Health care regulations impacted upon glaucoma prescribing and may be one of the reasons for different annual evolution rates of PGA and BB prescriptions.