Use of the UK General Practice Research Database for Pharmacoepidemiology

Overview

Journal Br J Clin Pharmacol

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 1998 Jun 27

PMID 9643612

Citations 173

Authors

L A Garcia Rodriguez

S Perez Gutthann

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The last decade has seen a surge in the use of computerized health care data for pharmacoepidemiology. Of all European databases, the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) in the UK, has been the most widely used for pharmacoepidemiological research. Since 1994, this database has belonged to the UK Department of Health, and is maintained by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Currently, around 1500 general practitioners with a population coverage in excess of 3 million, systematically provide their computerized medical data anonymously to ONS. Validation studies of the GPRD have documented the recording of medical data into general practitioners' computers to be near to complete. The GPRD collects truly population-based data, has a size that makes it possible to follow-up large cohorts of users of specific drugs, and includes both outpatient and inpatient clinical information. The access to original medical records is excellent. Desirable improvements to the GPRD would be additional computerized information on certain variables and linkage to other health care databases. Most published studies to date have been in the area of drug safety. The General Practice Research Database has proved that valuable data can be collected in a general practice setting. The full potential of this rich computerized database has yet to come. This experience should serve to encourage others to develop similar population-based data in other countries.

Citing Articles

Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Statin Users Compared to Fibrate Users in the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink (UK CPRD) GOLD.

Ayodele O, Cabral H, McManus D, Jick S Clin Epidemiol. 2024; 16:683-697.

PMID: 39386131 PMC: 11463176. DOI: 10.2147/CLEP.S481448.

Use of Electronic Health Record Data for Drug Safety Signal Identification: A Scoping Review.

Davis S, Zabotka L, Desai R, Wang S, Maro J, Coughlin K Drug Saf. 2023; 46(8):725-742.

PMID: 37340238 PMC: 11635839. DOI: 10.1007/s40264-023-01325-0.

Regression discontinuity design to evaluate the effect of statins on myocardial infarction in electronic health records.

Odden M, Zhang A, Jawadekar N, Tan A, Moran A, Glymour M Eur J Epidemiol. 2023; 38(4):393-402.

PMID: 36935439 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-023-00982-w.

Real-world effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in older adults: Cohort study using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Streeter A, Rodgers L, Masoli J, Lin N, Ble A, Hamilton W PLoS One. 2022; 17(10):e0275642.

PMID: 36227889 PMC: 9560513. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275642.

A descriptive cohort study of withdrawal from inhaled corticosteroids in COPD patients.

Patel S, Dickinson S, Morris K, Ashdown H, Chalmers J NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2022; 32(1):25.

PMID: 35859081 PMC: 9300648. DOI: 10.1038/s41533-022-00288-6.

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