This volume is a summary of material presented in the course given in
the International School of Phannacology on "Drug Epidemiology and
Post-Marketing Surveillance" between September 27 and October 8, 1990,
at the "Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture" in Erice, Sicily.
The course, which was a NATO Advanced Study Institute, included lectures
and workshops presented by experts in the new field of
phannacoepidemiology. The material covered includes various approaches
to spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions, including aggregate
approaches, such as those used in France, and detailed analyses of
individual reports, such as that done in The Netherlands and in Sweden.
Also, included are studies using traditional epidemiology methods. In
addition, modern pharmacoepidemiology makes considerable use of
automated databases. As such, information is presented on their use as
well. Phannacoepidemiology started in hospitals and some of the newest
work in the field is returning to the hospital as a site for studies.
Material on these topics was presented as well. Finally, selected new
methodologic developments were outlined in specific examples presented
that were of regulatory and commercial importance. This new field of
phannacoepidemiology is exploding in interest internationally. Evidence
of this is the increasing development of pharmacoepidemiology programs
in industry, medical schools, pharmacy schools, and schools of public
health. Also, there is a new International Society
ofPhannacoepidemiology. Practitioners in this field tend to specialize
in either analyses of spontaneous reporting or the use of formal
epidemiologic techniques.
