The application of population based health surveys in pharmacoepidemiologic studies in Norway

Abstract

ABSTRACT

There has been a modest interest in pharmacoepidemiologic research in Norway, especially when considering

that drugs are comprising the most common medical treatment and the health care segment with the

most rapidly increasing costs in health care. There may be several explanation for the relatively low

research output. One may be the generally poor access to information from issued drug prescriptions.

Comprehensive population based health surveys have been carried out in Norway for many years. The

health surveys have also been used as a basis for studies of drug use, and they have made it possible to

collect important background information associated with drug use. However, health surveys have primarily

had their origin in etiological research and the charting of major diseases in the population. Information

on drug use has primarily been included as indicators of morbidity. The questions about drug use have

therefore been general and covered the use of most drug groups. They have usually included both prescription

and non-prescription drugs.

The more recent health surveys include questions on drugs with a more focused approach. More questions

are now directed towards more defined health problems and drugs.

Access to individual based drug information from issued prescriptions, with the possibility of doing record

linkage studies combining data from the health surveys and prescription information, may contribute

significantly to the quality of pharmacoepidemiologic research in Norway.