Agreement between self-reported data on medicine use and prescription records vary according to method of analysis and therapeutic group.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared national self-reported data on medicine use and national prescription records at the individual level.


METHODS
Data from the nationally representative Danish health survey conducted in 2000 (n=16,688) were linked at the individual level to national prescription records covering 1999-2000. Kappa statistics and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.


RESULTS
Applying the legend time method to medicine groups used mainly on a chronic basis revealed good to very good agreement between the two data sources, whereas medicines used as needed showed fair to moderate agreement. When a fixed-time window was applied for analysis, agreement was unchanged for medicines used mainly on a chronic basis, whereas agreement increased somewhat compared to the legend time method when analyzing medicines used as needed.


CONCLUSIONS
Agreement between national self-reported data and national prescription records differed according to method of analysis and therapeutic group. A fixed-time window is an appropriate method of analysis for most therapeutic groups.
Nielsen
Merete Willemoes
MW
University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Section for Social Pharmacy, Universitetsparken 2, Copenhagen, Denmark. meretewnielsen@yahoo.dk
Søndergaard
Birthe
B
Kjøller
Mette
M
Hansen
Ebba Holme
EH
D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000600:supply & distribution; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D011996:Records
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations