The Zuellig Pharma Korea Consortium Database: An on-site drug wholesales database for pharmacoepidemiological studies using real-world data
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ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value and representativeness of the Zuellig Pharma Korea Consortium (ZPK-C) database, which contains drug wholesales data collected in a weekly interval, for its prospective use as a data source for pharmacoepidemiology studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wholesales and nationwide claims data of antidiabetic and antihypertensive products were compared in 17 administrative regions using the defined daily dose per 100,000 inhabitants per day (DID) and its proportion for standardized evaluation. RESULTS: We found regional concordance in 12 and 13 regions (out of 17) for antidiabetic and antihypertensive products, respectively, of which concordance was higher in rural than metropolitan regions. CONCLUSION: The ZPK-C showed potential as a valuable data source for pharmacoepidemiology research.