Rosuvastatin safety: a comprehensive, international pharmacoepidemiology programme.
Results from clinical trials and clinical practice have shown statins to be generally well tolerated with a low frequency of clinically relevant side effects. Nevertheless, there are rare occasions when adverse events (AEs), sometimes serious, mayccur. Rosuvastatin is the newest statin to be approved in the USA and many other countries
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use and pneumonia risk in a general population
The aim of the present study was to assess whether the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors is associated with a decreased risk of hospitalisation for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in a general, essentially white population. Dta were obtained from the Dutch PHARMO Record Linkage System
Potential bias in pharmacoepidemiological studies due to the length of the drug free period: a study on antidepressant drug use in adults in the Netherlands
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the length of the drug free period on incidence measurements as well as on cohort characteristics in users of antidepressants. METHODS: The study population consisted of patients aged 18ears or older who filled a prescription for an antidepressant drug in the Netherlands, between October 2001 and September 2002
Regional Influences on the Dispensing of Glucose Test Strips in Dutch Community Pharmacies
Background: Pharmacy practice guidelines promote the role of community pharmacies in self-monitoring of blood glucose. However, variations between Dutch pharmacies exist in the proportion of patients to whom test strips are dispensed. Objective: Toassess whether variations between community pharmacies in dispensing of blood glucose test strips can be explained by differences in patient characteristics and the region in which the pharmacy is located
Quality of life of patients with irritable bowel syndrome is low compared to others with chronic diseases
BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal dysmotility disorder. This study aimed to estimate the burden of illness of a Dutch population of community dwelling patients suffering from IBS. METHODS: Patientidentified at community pharmacies, using mebeverine as a proxy for IBS, were administered a questionnaire regarding (1) the Rome II criteria for IBS, (2) predominant type of stool during complaints, (3) severity of symptoms (abdominal pain and discomfort), (4) generic and disease-specific quality of life, (5) current health status (utilities), and (6) loss of productivity
Initial non-compliance with antihypertensive monotherapy is followed by complete discontinuation of antihypertensive therapy
PURPOSE: Discontinuation with treatment is a major problem in the treatment of hypertension. The objective of our study was to assess the association between non-compliance and discontinuation in patients who started using antihypertensive monotherpy. METHODS: A nested case-control study within a cohort of new users of antihypertensive drugs between 1st January 1999 and 31st December 2002 was performed
The association between antihypertensive drugs and glioma
We pursued an association between hypertension and gliomas by investigating whether antihypertensive drugs (AHD) are associated with an increased glioma risk by a population-based nested case-control study using the PHARMO database; this links dispnsing records of prescription drugs to hospital discharge data on an individual basis
Determinants of persistence with bisphosphonates: a study in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis
BACKGROUND: Although bisphosphonates are useful in the management of osteoporosis, patients often discontinue treatment. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate persistence with bisphosphonates, and to assess whether the dose intervainfluenced persistence, among women with postmenopausal osteoporosis
Improving pharmacotherapy after myocardial infarction by group academic detailing using feedback data on a patient level
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate a peer review group (PRG) meeting using feedback data on a patient level to improve the quality of drug therapy for prevention of recurrent myocardial infarction. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up study. DATA SORCE: General practitioners’ computerized patients records (intervention patients) and the PHARMO record linkage system (controls)