Outpatient Registers for Medicinal Products as Research Data Sources
This research project examines the content and potential of data in Kanta service’s Prescription Centre and Kela’s Prescription Register. The project studies, for example, the grounds for data accumulation, primary use of data, paths of data accumulation, differences and similarities in the contents and coverage of register data, and suitability of register data for different uses.
In the second phase of the project, we use Kanta service’s prescription data from the Prescription Centre to study how medicines are prescribed in Finland and the differences in prescribing practices in the private and public sectors. Furthermore, we analyse the scenarios for the number of issued prescriptions for the upcoming years.
Researchers
- Heini Kari, Leading Researcher
- Pekka Heino
- Hanna Koskinen
- Hanna Rättö
Project Implementation Period
1.2.2021–30.6.2023. The project has ended.
Project Results
The study, which was published in the Yhteiskuntapolitiikka (Social Policy) journal, used electronic prescriptions saved in the Kanta Services’ Prescription Centre in 2020 to examine the distribution of issued prescriptions between public and private healthcare providers and between age groups and medicine groups. A scenario analysis was also conducted of prescription issuance rates in the public healthcare sector in 2025 and 2030. In 2020, altogether 69% of all prescriptions were issued by public healthcare providers and 31% by private ones. 39% of all prescriptions were issued to persons over 65 with 86% thereof issued by public healthcare providers. The prevalence of private healthcare providers as an issuer of prescriptions was the highest (46–47%) among people aged 0–5 and 35–55. Public healthcare providers were by far the most prolific prescribers of cancer medications and immunomodulators (92% issued in public healthcare), blood disorder medicines (88%) and medicines for cardiovascular diseases (80%). On the other hand, private healthcare providers accounted for the largest percentage of prescriptions for ophthalmological and otological medicines and dermatological medicines (48% issued in private healthcare). According to the scenario analysis, the number of prescriptions issued by public healthcare providers shows an upward trend among age groups over 75. The analysis shows that public and private healthcare providers complement one another insofar as the prescription of medicines is concerned. Public healthcare providers play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical treatment of elderly patients with severe, chronic conditions, and preparations must be made to accommodate for its growing workload in the coming years as the population ages.
