Drug Statistics 2017:2
Norwegian Prescription Database 2012–2016
Report
|Published
The report includes a comprehensive table with information about the number of individuals who had drugs prescribed and dispensed from pharmacies in Norway during the last five years.
Download
Key message
The use of drugs in the population is increasing. An important goal of the health policies regarding pharmaceuticals in Norway is rational drug use. In order to improve drug use, knowledge about which drugs are used, how they are used and who uses them is vital.
In December 2002, the Parliament decided to establish a national prescription database in Norway (NorPD). The task of building up the register was given to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). Since 1st January 2004, the institute has received monthly data on drug dispensed to patients, prescribers and institutions from all Norwegian pharmacies.
This report is the tenth edition of the annual statistics from the NorPD. General information about the NorPD, drug statistics, classification of drugs and measurement methods is included in part 1 of the report. Part 2 contains selected key figures from the NorPD and the main tables with information about the number of individuals who had drugs prescribed and dispensed from pharmacies in Norway during the latest five years period (2012–2016). The information includes particular drug substances as well as drug groups. ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) classification is used in the tables. For 2016, information about age, gender and costs are included in the tables. The ATC/DDD version of January 2017 has been used in the report (see also WHO Collaboration Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology).
The NorPD also has a website where you can find complementary information, both i English and Norwegian. It is also possible to apply for data from the NorPD for research or for other purposes which are according to the objectives of the NorPD. More information about this can be found in part 2 of the report.
