Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
A systematic review of the application of spatial analysis in pharmacoepidemiologic research
Aletta Dijkstra1, Eelko Hak, Fanny Janssen
1Unit of PharmacoEpidemiology & PharmacoEconomics (PE(2)), Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. a.dijkstra@rug.nl
Purpose:
Although current reviews of the use of spatial analysis in general epidemiologic research illustrate an important and well-established role in exploring and predicting health, its application has not been reviewed in the subspecialty field of pharmacoepidemiology.
Methods:
We systematically reviewed the scientific literature to assess to what extent spatial analysis has been applied in pharmacoepidemiologic research and explored its potential added value.
Results:
A systematic search in PubMed and Embase/MEDLINE yielded 823 potentially relevant articles; 45 articles met our criteria for review. The studies were reviewed on study objective, applied spatial methods and units of analysis, and author-reported added value of the geographic approach used. Of the 45 included studies, 34 (76%) reported a geographic research objective. Comparative spatial methods were most often used (n = 25; 56%). Eleven studies used spatial statistics (32%); cluster analysis (n = 5) and aggregate data analysis (n = 4) being most common. Mapping was done in 15 studies (33%). The most common added value reported was to aid the planning of health policies and interventions (n = 24; 53%). A minority of pharmacoepidemiologic studies used a geographic approach and the applied methods were less advanced compared with the broader field of epidemiology.
Conclusions:
Further advancements are needed to incorporate currently available spatial techniques to impact health care planning.
Related Concept Videos
Analysis of Population Pharmacokinetic Data
Analysis Methods of Pharmacokinetic Data: Model and Model-Independent Approaches
The model approach uses mathematical models to describe changes in drug concentration over time. Pharmacokinetic models help characterize drug behavior in patients, predict drug concentration in the body fluids, calculate optimum dosage regimens, and evaluate the risk of toxicity. However, ensuring that the model fits the experimental data accurately...
Model-Independent Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Noncompartmental Analysis
One important characteristic of noncompartmental analyses is that drug exposure increases proportionally with increasing doses. This relationship...
Measurement of Bioavailability: Pharmacodynamic Methods
Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
