Department of Pharmacy

Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics

Development of drugs and efficacy/effectiveness of drug treatment
The research in the group aims to contribute to a more rational use of drugs in society. Our main focus is on the outcome and the effectiveness of drug treatments in clinical practice, and on factors influencing the discrepancy between efficacy and effectiveness.

Research is concentrated into the following areas

  • Drug use in psychiatric practice: Drug treatment of depression and schizophrenia. Insomnia and the use of hypnotics in the population (In collaboration with Div.of Psychiatry, Uppsala University).
    Short review of the depression research (in Swedish).
  • Pain:Epidemiological studies on pain and analgesics with particular emphasis on gender differences.
  • Dermatology: Burden of disease studies. Population based health related quality of life studies.
    (In collaboration with Karolinska Institute)
  • Compliance with drug treatment: The epidemiology and causes of non-compliance, patient and population attitudes to drug treatment.

Methodological areas of expertise

  • Population drug use studies with the aid of a computerised data base.
  • Longitudinal studies and the analysis of repeated data on use of drugs and on outcomes of drug treatment.
  • Health related quality of life instruments and the measurement of health state utilities from an epidemiological and public health perspective.

Senior researchers

PhD students

  • Lena Thunander Sundbom

Important publications

  • Lindström E, Bingefors K. Patient compliance with drug therapy in schizophrenia. Economic and clinical issues. Pharmacoeconomics 2000;18:105-124.
  • Bingefors K, Lindberg M, Isacson D. Self-reported dermatological problems and use of prescribed topical drugs correlate with decreased quality of life. An epidemiological study. British Journal of Dermatology 2002;147:285-290.
  • Isacson D, Bingefors K. Epidemiology of analgesic use - A gender perspective. European Journal of Anaesthetiology 2002;19(Suppl26)9-19.
  • Bingefors K, Isacson D. Epidemiology, co-morbidity, and impact on health-related quality of life of self-reported headache and musculoskeletal pain a gender perspective. European Journal of Pain 2004;8:435-50.
  • Isacson D, Bingefors K, von Knorring L. The impact of depression is unevenly distributed in the population European Psychiatry 2005;20(3):205-12.
  • Koltowska-Häggström M, Jonsson B, Isacson D, Bingefors K. Using EQ-5D To Derive Utilities For The Quality Of Life - Assessment Of Growth Hormone Deficiency In Adults (QoL-AGHDA). Value in Health 2007 Jan-Feb;10(1):73-81.
  • Isacson, D, Bingefors, K, Kristiansen, IS and Nyholm. D. Fluctuating functions related to quality of life in advanced Parkinson disease: effects of duodenal levodopa infusion. Acta Neurol Scand, 2008, 118 (6), 379.
  • Isacson, D, Johansson, L and Bingefors, K. Nationwide survey of subjectively reported adverse drug reactions in Sweden. Ann Pharmacother, 2008, 42 (3), 347.
  • Kristiansen, I, Bingefors, K, Nyholm, D and Isacson, D. Short-Term Cost and Health Consequences of Duodenal Levodopa Infusion in Advanced Parkinson's Disease in Sweden: An Exploratory Study. Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 2009, 7 (3), 167.