Data sources for drug utilization research in Latin American countries-A cross-national study: DASDUR-LATAM study

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Health Policy

Background:

• Drug utilization research (DUR) is crucial for informing health policy and strengthening health systems.
• Systematized information on DUR data sources in Latin American (LatAm) countries is lacking.
• Identifying and characterizing available data sources is a prerequisite for conducting DUR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compile and characterize potential data sources for drug utilization research in Latin American countries.
• To assess the availability and accessibility of these data sources.

Main Methods:

• A network of DUR experts from nine Latin American countries was established.
• Data sources were identified through website searches of governmental, academic, and private health institutions.
• Data sources were screened and characterized based on accessibility, geographic granularity, setting, sector, source, and data type, with input from national pharmacoepidemiology experts via an online survey.

Main Results:

• A total of 125 potential data sources for DUR were identified across nine Latin American countries.
• Only 38% (30%) of these sources were publicly and conveniently available; 71% had limited accessibility, and 14% were inaccessible.
• The majority of sources were from the public sector (61%), with a significant portion from pharmacy records (37%), and 68% provided individual patient-level data.

Conclusions:

• Despite the availability of numerous data sources for DUR in Latin America, accessibility remains a significant barrier.
• Transparent, feasible, affordable, and protocol-driven procedures are needed for accessing DUR data.
• This inventory facilitates cross-country comparisons of drug utilization, potentially identifying medication-related problems for further investigation.