title: Pharmacy data in the VA health care system.
abstract: Recent advances in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care data systems have greatly increased access to operational pharmacy information. This article presents a brief guide to VA pharmacy data sources: the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture files, the Pharmacy Benefits Management database, Decision Support System (DSS) National Data Extracts for inpatient and outpatient care, the planned DSS National Pharmacy Extract, DSS databases at local VA facilities, and the Non-VA Fee Basis files. Depending on the source, available data elements include patient demographics, clinical care information, characteristics of the medication and of the prescribing physician, and cost. Access policies are detailed for VA and non-VA researchers. Linking these sources to VA databases containing data on inpatient and outpatient services offers a comprehensive view of health care within several VA populations of general interest, including people over age 65 and those with physical and psychiatric disabilities.
authors.affiliation: VA HSR&D Health Economics Resource Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, USA.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Joseph
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D016303:Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D016208:Databases, Factual; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005544:Forecasting; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000379:methods; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*