Helena Gama

Departamento de Investigação e Desenvolvimento, Bial, Porto

Drug utilization studies aim to evaluate factors related to the prescribing, dispensing, administering and taking of medication, and its associated events (either beneficial or adverse). Since the early 1960’s the interest in Drug Utilization Studies has been increasing, first with market-only purposes, then for evaluating the quality of medical prescription and comparing patterns of use of specific drugs. Presently drug utilization studies are an evolving area. Their scope is to evaluate the present state and future trends of drug usage, to estimate crudely disease prevalence, drug expenditures, appropriateness of prescriptions and adherence to evidence-based recommendations. The increasing importance of drug utilization studies as a valuable investigation resource in pharmacoepidemiology has been bridging it with other health related areas, such as public health, pharmacovigilance, pharmacoeconomics, eco-pharmacovigilance or pharmacogenetics.

Key-words: epidemiology; pharmacology; pharmacoepidemiology; drug utilization.

Estudos de Utilização de Medicamentos

Os estudos de utilização de medicamentos têm como objectivo avaliar factores relacionados com a prescrição, dispensa, administração e toma de medicamentos, e os eventos associados (tanto benéficos como adversos). Desde o início dos anos 60 que o interesse pelos estudos de utilização de medicamentos tem vindo a crescer, primeiro com objectivos apenas de marketing, depois para avaliar a qualidade da prescrição médica e comparar os padrões de utilização de medicamentos específicos. Actualmente a área de estudos de utilização de medicamentos está em evolução. O seu objectivo é avaliar o estado presente e as futuras tendências na utilização de medicamentos, estimar a prevalência aproximada de uma doença, gastos com medicação, adequação das prescrições e adesão às recomendações baseadas na evidência. A importância crescente dos estudos de utilização de medicamentos como recurso investigacional válido em farmacoepidemiologia tem sido uma ponte de ligação com outras áreas da saúde, como a saúde pública, farmacovigilância, farmacoeconomia, eco-farmacovigilância ou farmacogenética.

Palavras-chave: epidemiologia; farmacologia; farmacoepidemiologia; utilização de medicamentos.

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Correspondence:

Departamento de Investigação e Desenvolvimento

BIAL

4475-457 S. Mamede do Coronado

e-mail: helena.gama@bial.com