New eye treatment offers better outcome, saves money

  • Published
  • By Linda Frost
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  Two 59th Medical Wing team member's implementation of a new drug project to treat age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, is helping patients and saving the Air Force $990 per unit dose.

In recognition of their accomplishments, Pamela Singleton and Lt. Col. Richard Lane received the Air Education and Training Command's 2007 Air Force Exceptional Innovator Award.

Ms. Singleton, a retired master sergeant, is the former NCO in charge of Ophthalmology and Colonel Lane is the director of Retina Service at the Wilford Hall Medical Center Ophthalmology Clinic.

In 2005 researchers at the University of Miami identified a promising new drug to fight macular degeneration. Colonel Lane and Ms. Singleton wanted to bring the new treatment to Wilford Hall, but the drug was not commercially available to ophthalmologists.

At the time, the treatment for macular degeneration was costing the Air Force $995 per unit dose and the results for patients were disappointing. Each patient was re-treated every six weeks for two years, at a total annual cost of $16,915 per patient.

Ms. Singleton discovered that the same drug was already being used at Wilford Hall in the hematology-oncology service and could be specially prepared by the bone marrow transplant pharmacy for about $5 per dose. She coordinated with the University of Miami and the pharmacy to ensure the drug was properly prepared for use in ophthalmology.

As a result of these efforts, patients are now benefiting from the state-of-the-art treatment for AMD for approximately $5 per injection and they are experiencing better outcomes with the new treatment, hospital officials said.

Their efforts saved the Air Force $878,000 in the first year. 

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