TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenges facing drug utilization research in the Latin American region
AU - Sales, Maribel
AU - Lopes, Luciane C.
AU - Godman, Brian
AU - Truter, Ilse
AU - Hartzema, Abraham G.
AU - Wettermark, Bjorn
AU - Fadare, Joseph
AU - Burger, Johanita R.
AU - Appenteng, Kwame
AU - Donneyong, Macarius
AU - Arias, Ariel
AU - Ankrah, Daniel
AU - Ogunleye, Olayinka O.
AU - Lubbe, Martha
AU - Horne, Laura
AU - Bernet, Jorgelina
AU - Gomez-Galicia, Diana L.
AU - Estrada Garcia, Miriam del Carmen
AU - Oluka, Margaret N.
AU - Massele, Amos
AU - Alesso, Luis
AU - Comoglio, Raquel Herrera
AU - da Cost Lima, Elisangela
AU - Vilaseca, Carmen
AU - Bergman, Ulf
PY - 2020/11/17
Y1 - 2020/11/17
N2 - Purpose: The International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) in collaboration with the Latin America Drug Utilization Research Group (LatAm DURG), the Medicines Utilization Research in Africa (MURIA) group, and the Uppsala Monitoring Center, is leading an initiative to understand challenges to drug utilization research (DUR) in the Latin American (LatAm) and African regions with the goal of communicating results and proposing solutions to these challenges in four scientific publications. The purpose of this first manuscript is to identify the main challenges associated with DUR in the LatAm region. Methods: Drug utilization (DU) researchers in the LatAm region voluntarily participated in multiple discussions, contributed with local data and reviewed successive drafts and the final manuscript. Additionally, we carried out a literature review to identify the most relevant publications related to DU studies from the LatAm region. Results: Multiple challenges were identified in the LatAm region for DUR including socioeconomic inequality, access to medical care, complexity of the healthcare system, limited investment in research and development, limited institutional and organization resources, language barriers, limited health education and literacy. Further, there is limited use of local DUR data by decision makers particularly in the identification of emerging health needs coming from social and demographic transitions. Conclusions: The LatAm region faces challenges to DUR which are inherent in the healthcare and political systems, and potential solutions should target changes to the system.
AB - Purpose: The International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) in collaboration with the Latin America Drug Utilization Research Group (LatAm DURG), the Medicines Utilization Research in Africa (MURIA) group, and the Uppsala Monitoring Center, is leading an initiative to understand challenges to drug utilization research (DUR) in the Latin American (LatAm) and African regions with the goal of communicating results and proposing solutions to these challenges in four scientific publications. The purpose of this first manuscript is to identify the main challenges associated with DUR in the LatAm region. Methods: Drug utilization (DU) researchers in the LatAm region voluntarily participated in multiple discussions, contributed with local data and reviewed successive drafts and the final manuscript. Additionally, we carried out a literature review to identify the most relevant publications related to DU studies from the LatAm region. Results: Multiple challenges were identified in the LatAm region for DUR including socioeconomic inequality, access to medical care, complexity of the healthcare system, limited investment in research and development, limited institutional and organization resources, language barriers, limited health education and literacy. Further, there is limited use of local DUR data by decision makers particularly in the identification of emerging health needs coming from social and demographic transitions. Conclusions: The LatAm region faces challenges to DUR which are inherent in the healthcare and political systems, and potential solutions should target changes to the system.
KW - drug utilisation
KW - latin america
KW - database
U2 - 10.1002/pds.4989
DO - 10.1002/pds.4989
M3 - Article
SN - 1053-8569
VL - 29
SP - 1353
EP - 1363
JO - Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
JF - Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
IS - 11
ER -