The Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) as a data source for diabetes research

Every month since 2004, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has received automatically generated data on prescriptions from all Norwegian pharmacies (1). NorPD contains information about all drugs prescribed (reimbursed or not) and dispensed at pharmacies to individual patients living outside institutions, i.e. ambulatory care. For patients in nursing homes and hospitals, the figures for drug use are included in the register at institution or department level, i.e. on an aggregated level. The NorPD has a website for easy access to prescription statistics in Norway (2). All patients with at least one prescription dispensed during a year are included in the database. Reports on the number of users of a particular drug or drug group can be retrieved. Detailed information can be obtained by performing searches using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code, substance name or brand name. The database is annually updated with data from the preceding year. Data from the NorPD are also published in an annual report (3). For research and e.g. surveillance purposes which are in accordance with the aims of the NorPD, further information is available upon request (4).