[Prevalence of diabetes in france and drug use: study based on the French pharmacovigilance database].

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of the French Pharmacovigilance Database to estimate characteristics of drug utilization in specific diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

We identified diabetic patients from the French Pharmacovigilance Database between 2002 and 2005. In this population, we studied demographic characteristics, and the patterns of drug use, particularly hypoglycemiant drug use and other drug exposure. In order to validate this approach, we compared our data to a population of patients with diabetes identified from the French Health Insurance System claims database in one French area.

RESULTS

The estimation of prevalence of diabetes was very close in the sources: 2.7% in the French Pharmacovigilance Database and 3.2% in the French Health Insurance System claims database. We found similar results as well for demographic characteristics as for hypoglycemiant drug use and other drug exposure.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that the French Pharmacovigilance Database may be used to investigate drug utilization patterns.