Patterns of Intravitreal Injection Utilisation, Treatment Burden, and Cost Implications in a Public Ophthalmology Service: A Retrospective Audit.
Categories :
Clinical audit , Ophthalmology , The Operating Room Global , The Operating Room Global Journal , TORGJ , TORGJ Vol 1 Issue 2
Tags : Cost ImplicationsHealth EconomicsIntravitreal InjectionsOphthalmic CareOphthalmology ServiceOriginal ResearchPublic Health ServiceResource UtilisationRetinal DiseasesRetrospective AuditService DeliveryThe Operating Room GlobalThe Operating Room Global JournalTORGJTreatment BurdenTreatment Utilisation
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2512002
Authors: Thomas Ahern1*, Adebusola Adenike Owokole1,2, Conall Hurley1
| ¹Department of Ophthalmology, Health Service Executive (HSE), Mid-West, Ireland. ²The Operating Room Global (TORG) |
Cite:
- APA (7th edition): Ahern, T., Owokole, A. A., & Hurley, C. (2025, December 21). Patterns of intravitreal injection utilisation, treatment burden, and cost implications in a public ophthalmology service: A retrospective audit. The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), 1(2). https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2512002
- Harvard: Ahern, T., Owokole, A.A. and Hurley, C., 2025. Patterns of intravitreal injection utilisation, treatment burden, and cost implications in a public ophthalmology service: A retrospective audit. The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), 1(2). Published 21 December. Available at: https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2512002
- Vancouver: Ahern T, Owokole AA, Hurley C. Patterns of intravitreal injection utilisation, treatment burden, and cost implications in a public ophthalmology service: A retrospective audit. The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ). 2025 Dec 21;1(2). https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2512002
- MLA (9th edition): Thomas Ahern, Owokole, Adebusola Adenike, and Conall Hurley. “Patterns of Intravitreal Injection Utilisation, Treatment Burden, and Cost Implications in a Public Ophthalmology Service: A Retrospective Audit.” The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), vol. 1, no. 2, 21 Dec. 2025, https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2512002
- Chicago (Author–Date): Thomas Ahern, Owokole, Adebusola Adenike, and Conall Hurley. 2025. “Patterns of Intravitreal Injection Utilisation, Treatment Burden, and Cost Implications in a Public Ophthalmology Service: A Retrospective Audit.” The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ) 1 (2), December 21. https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2512002
Corresponding Author*:
Thomas Ahern
[email protected]
Declaration:
Authors’ Contribution:
Original draft and formal analysis: Thomas Ahern (T.A.); Review, editing and data curation: Adebusola Adenike Owokole (A.A.O.); Supervision: Conall Hurley (C.H.).
Conflict of Interest:
No conflict of interest.
Funding:
No funding received by the authors.
| Article History: |
| Received: 02-12-2025 Accepted: 17-12-2025 |
| Available Online: 21-12-2025 |
| QR Code Access to this Article |
| ABSTRACT |
| Background: The global rise of intravitreal treatment has impacted ophthalmic service delivery, workforce demands, and healthcare cost. Public ophthalmology services must strike a balance between increasing clinical demand and sustainable resource usage. The aim of this study was to assess intravitreal injection patterns, temporal trends, as well as associated drug procurement costs in a public ophthalmology service. Methods: A retrospective clinical audit was undertaken to analyze all intravitreal injections administered between June 2023 & September 2025. The data were taken from intravitreal therapy registers & comprised injection volume, agent selection, laterality, & monthly utilization trends. Drug procurement costs were determined using institutional pharmacy records. The data were anonymized & analyzed descriptively. Formal ethical approval was not necessary because this was a service evaluation audit. Results: A total of 1,446 intravitreal injections were delivered during the audit period. Anti-VEGF therapy accounted for most of the activity, with aflibercept formulations representing 55.2% of all injections. Introduction of high dose aflibercept (8 mg) was associated with rapid adoption and displacement of alternative agents. The total drug acquisition cost was €697,504.90, with aflibercept contributing the greatest proportion of expenditure. Lower-cost agents accounted for a smaller proportion of injections. Conclusion: Intravitreal therapy represents a substantial and growing clinical and economic burden within public ophthalmology services. Clinical effectiveness and treatment durability appear to be more important than cost when determining prescribing trends. Continuous auditing and service-level evaluation are required to guide sustainable service delivery, workforce planning, and policy development. Keywords: Intravitreal injections, Anti-VEGF therapy, Ophthalmology services, Health economics, Clinical audit. |
Download Full Text Below