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Sources of European drug consumption data at a country level

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed at outlining the characteristics of nationwide administrative databases monitoring drug consumption in Europe.

Methods

Internet and bibliographic databases (April 2010) were searched and experts in drug utilization (DU) research interviewed to find nationwide administrative medicines consumption databases in Europe, with data for the out- and inpatient healthcare sector. A questionnaire was developed to gather additional information. We collected data providers, websites, accessibility, data sources, healthcare settings, population coverage, medicines-related data, patient and prescriber data, periods covered, and linkage to other databases.

Results

Thirty-one administrative nationwide medicine consumption databases in 25 countries were identified. Questionnaires were responded for 20 databases. Eleven provided wholesalers’ sales data, 11 on reimbursed, 5 on prescribed, and 4 on dispensing medicines. Fifteen databases provided inpatient drug consumption data, mainly wholesalers’ sales.

Conclusions

Nationwide administrative databases are of value to all stakeholders involved in the conduct and interpretation of post-marketing safety studies, and in the conduct of DU research. The endorsement of the anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily dose methodology by these databases contributes to data harmonization. However, there is still a lack of information on inpatient medicines consumption at a patient-level.

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Acknowledgments

The research leading to these results was conducted as part of the PROTECT Consortium (Pharmacoepidemiological Research on Outcomes of Therapeutics by a European ConsorTium, http://www.imi-protect.eu) which is a public–private partnership coordinated by the European Medicines Agency. The PROTECT project has received support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking [(IMI JU), http://www.imi.europa.eu] under Grant Agreement No 115004, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) and European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Association (EFPIA) companies’ in kind contribution. The views expressed are those of the authors only.

Conflict of interest

Ferrer P, Ballarín E, Sabaté M, Laporte J.-R, Rottenkolber M, Hasford J and Ibáñez L do not have any conflict of interest. Schoonen M, Fortuny J, and Tatt I belong to EFPIA member companies in the IMI JU and costs related to their part in the research were carried by the respective company as in-kind contribution under the IMI JU scheme. This manuscript was edited for proper English language, grammar, punctuation and spelling by the American Journal of Experts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundació Institut Català de Farmacologia, Pg. Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    Pili Ferrer, Elena Ballarín, Mònica Sabaté, Joan-Ramon Laporte & Luisa Ibáñez

  2. Servei de Farmacologia, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

    Elena Ballarín, Mònica Sabaté, Joan-Ramon Laporte & Luisa Ibáñez

  3. Departament de Farmacologia, Terapèutica i Toxicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Pg. Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    Elena Ballarín, Mònica Sabaté, Joan-Ramon Laporte & Luisa Ibáñez

  4. Center for Observational Research, Amgen ltd., 1, Uxbridge Business Park, Sanderson Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK

    Marieke Schoonen

  5. Institute for Medical Information Sciences, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig Maximillians Universität-München, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Marietta Rottenkolber & Joerg Hasford

  6. Global Clinical Epidemiology Department, Novartis Pharma AG, Gran Vía Corts Catalanes, 764, 08013, Barcelona, Spain

    Joan Fortuny

  7. Information and Ophthalmology, EpiPRO, Grenzacherstrasse 124, Hoffmann-LA Roche, 4070, Basel, Switzerland

    Iain Tatt

Authors
  1. Pili Ferrer
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  2. Elena Ballarín
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  6. Marietta Rottenkolber
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  7. Joan Fortuny
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  8. Joerg Hasford
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  9. Iain Tatt
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  10. Luisa Ibáñez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luisa Ibáñez.

Additional information

On behalf of the PROTECT Work Package 2.

Appendix

The members of Pharmacoepidemiological Research on Outcomes of Therapeutics by a European Consortium WP2 (framework for pharmacoepidemiology studies) are the following: Y. Alvarez, J. Slattery, X. Kurz, G. Candoere, J. Durand, S. Blackburn (European Medicines Agency), M. Rottenkolber, J. Hasford, A. Stueven (Ludwig-Maximilians Universität-München), F.J. de Abajo Iglesias, E. Martin Merino, M. Gil, C. Huerta, G. Requena, B. Oliva, D. Montero (Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios), L.A. Garcia-Rodriguez, A. Ruigomez (Fundación Centro Español de Investigación Farmacoepidemiológica), P.C. Souverein, L. van Dijk, A. Afonso, M. De Groot, H. Gardarsdottir, F. Rutten, R. Van den Ham, S. Belitser, A. de Boer, R. Groenwold, A.W. Hoes, W.R. Pestman, A.Sanni, J. Uddin, D. De Bakker, W. Pestman, K. Roes, A. Hoes, V. Abbing-Karahagopian, F. De Vries, T.P. van Staa, A.C.G. Egberts, H.G.M. Leufkens, O.H. Klungel, I. Teixidor (Utrecht University, The Netherlands), J. Parkinson (The UK General Practice Research Database), P. Helboe, J. Lyngvig, A.M. Clemensen, T.S. Engraff, U. Hesse, J. Poulsen, P.F. Rønn (Lægemiddelstyrelsen, Danish Medicines Agency), J. Logie, J. Pimenta, K. Davis, E.J. Swain (GlaxoSmithkline Research and Development LTD), L. Abenhaim, D. Neasham (L.A. Sante Epidemiologie Evaluation Recherche), R.F. Reynolds, N. Gatto, A. Bate, J. Richards (Pfizer), G.F. Downey, R.Brauer, M. Schoonen, A.Roddam, J.Amelio (Amgen NV), E. Velthuis, O. Demol (Genzyme Europe), M. Miret (Merck KgaA), S. Johansson (AstraZeneca AB), P. Primatesta, R. Schlienger, J.Fortuny, E. Rivero, J. Weil, E. Plana Hortoneda (Novartis), G. Quartey, I. Tatt, J. Hannon, J. Robinson, S. Vesanen (F. Hoffman-La Roche AG), J.R. Laporte, L. Ibáñez, M. Sabaté, E. Ballarín, M. Pérez and P. Ferrer (Fundació Institut Català de Farmacologia), S. Schmiedl (Philipp Klee-Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Helios Klinik Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten-Herdecke University, Witten, Germany).

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Ferrer, P., Ballarín, E., Sabaté, M. et al. Sources of European drug consumption data at a country level. Int J Public Health 59, 877–887 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0564-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0564-8

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