Abstract
In this article we aim to give researchers and other users of drug utilization data a current overview of the twonationwide Norwegian drug databases located at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), withreference to some historical background. The first database, “The Norwegian Drug Wholesales Statistics”,dating back to 1974, provides total sale figures of all medicines on the market. The second database, “TheNorwegian Prescription Database” (NorPD), dates back to 2004 and covers prescription drugs dispensed bypharmacies. This database will be modernized during 2021 and renamed (“The Norwegian Prescribed DrugRegistry”, name not finally decided), and all historical data will be migrated to the modernized registry. In thefuture, the most valuable add-on to the modernized prescription database will be individual level data fromin-patients in hospitals and health care institutions, and the possibility to obtain aggregated data from eachinstitution. Together, the two nationwide databases will continue to be the cornerstones of drug utilization data in Norway and should be used more extensively to improve health to the best for individuals and society. Development in national e-health programs will play a key role in providing easier and less time-consuming access to data and improve conditions for linkage of drug data to other health registries in the near future.
Highlights
Drugs represent an important intervention in the prevention and care of many diseases, and more than 70% of Norwegians have at least one prescription drug dispensed annually
Another milestone was reached by the establishment of The Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) in 2004 at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) [9] which includes data on prescribed drugs on individual basis dispensed at pharmacies
The database is organized according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC)/defined daily dose (DDD) classification system, but data are not person identifiable, key variables included are shown in table 1
Summary
Drugs represent an important intervention in the prevention and care of many diseases, and more than 70% of Norwegians have at least one prescription drug dispensed annually. Progress in digitalization and automation will improve data handling (speed, amount and quality) and provide new possibilities to systematically collect, link and report data. In this context, there is an increasing need for using population-based drug databases to monitor drug utilization in order to provide evidence-based information, valuable in a wide range of areas. Datadriven research and development as well as decisionmaking becomes increasingly important for health care professionals, health authorities and drug developers. For medical professionals it is important to ensure rational drug use in patients/individuals that balances benefit with risk. In a societal perspective, increasing drug use and costs, requires assessment of cost-effectiveness and effects on the overall public health
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