PURPOSE: Dry eye disease (DED) is a chronic, multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by visual discomfort, disturbance, and tear film instability. DED may interfere with patients' activities of daily living, impacting quality of life and well-being. Introduced in 2023, perfluorohexyloctane (PFHO) ophthalmic solution is a prescription eye drop for DED that targets tear evaporation. We sought to characterize patient-reported satisfaction with PFHO, willingness to refill, history of over-the-counter (OTC) treatment, and concurrent assessment of refill rate.

METHODS: Adults newly initiating treatment with PFHO or another prescription DED medication (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% [CsA]) were identified in the Veradigm Network EHR Database linked to claims. The index period was September 15, 2023 through December 31, 2023. The index date was the date of the first PFHO or CsA prescription, with a baseline period of 12 months prior to the index date. Patients were contacted via the FollowMyHealth Patient Engagement Platform and recruited by email to participate in a survey that included questions regarding satisfaction with their DED medication, intent to refill their current medication, and prior use of OTC eye drops. The patient selection period for the survey was from September 15, 2023, through February 28, 2025. Medication refill rates were assessed via claims.

RESULTS: Of 218 patients with DED responding to the survey, 22 (10.1%) patients initiated PFHO and 133 (61.0%) initiated CsA. In the PFHO and CsA groups, mean (SD) age was 61.0 (12.9) years versus 63.9 (11.5) years; the majority were female (86.4% vs 82.7%), white (77.3% vs 78.2%), non-Hispanic (77.3% vs 81.2%), and resided in the South (68.2% vs 39.8%). For PFHO, 82% of patients were "somewhat satisfied" or "very satisfied" with treatment versus 59% for CsA. Furthermore, 73% of PFHO patients responded favorably toward refilling their prescription vs 67% of CsA patients. The actual proportion of patients with at least one recorded refill was 82% for PFHO vs 69% for CsA. Most PFHO (77%) and CsA (86%) patients previously used OTC eye drops, with 68% and 53%, respectively, using OTC eye drops for more than 12 months.

CONCLUSION: PFHO patients reported high satisfaction with their medication, with a majority refilling their prescription. Most PFHO patients had prior OTC eye drop usage for more than 12 months, potentially identifying a subset of the patient population likely to benefit from the novel treatment.