Louise Wood

The General Practice Research Database (GPRD) is the world’s largest computerised database of anonymised longitudinal clinical records from primary care. The database already has an international reputation in the field of drug safety signal evaluation where the results of GPRD-based pharmacoepidemiological studies have been used to inform regulatory pharmacovigilance decision making. The characteristics and richness of the data are such that the GPRD is likely to prove a key data resource for the proactive pharmacovigilance anticipated in risk management and pharmacovigilance plans. An update of recent developments to the database and new data available from it — including spontaneously recorded suspected adverse drug reactions — is presented in the article, with a description of how the data can be used to support a variety of pharmacovigilance applications. The possibility of using the GPRD in signal detection and assessment of the impact of pharmacovigilance activities in the future is also discussed.

The General Practice Research Database (GPRD) is the world's largest computerized database of anonymized longitudinal patient records from general practice and is a unique public health research tool. Several issues have threatened the viability of the database in recent years; in April 1999 responsibility for its management and financial control was transferred to the UK Medicines Control Agency (MCA). This presentation outlines the MCA's plans and future vision for the GPRD. © Crown copyright 2001. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.