During a conference dedicated to the analysis of pharmaceutical prescriptions in Italy organized by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, the National Report of the National Observatory on the use of medicinal products (OsMed) relating to the use of drugs in Italy in 2005 was presented. The conference was an opportunity to also present the data relating to the first quarter of 2006. The 2005 OsMed Report, according to a by now consolidated standard of analysis, provides a snapshot of the situation at national and regional level , allowing comparisons and evaluations not only in terms of expenditure but also of intensity of use of therapeutic groups and individual substances. In this edition, the insights relating to consumption by therapeutic class offer important food for thought, having further developed the comparison with the available scientific evidence. Furthermore, the expansion of the part relating to the analysis of the treatment profiles of some pathologies relevant to general practice offers the possibility of dealing more closely with the topic of clinical appropriateness.
Compared to the previous edition, the integration of OsMed information flows with those coming from the Pharmaceutical Prescription Monitoring Systems has been enhanced, some activated at a regional level, others at the level of the individual ASLs. This has made it possible to obtain information relating to the assisted population and to estimate for 2005 the prevalence of drug use in a much larger population than that analyzed in the previous report, going from a "sample" of 7 million assisted mainly from the central-northern area of the country, to over 26 million citizens distributed throughout the national territory.
Compared to the previous edition, the integration of OsMed information flows with those coming from the Pharmaceutical Prescription Monitoring Systems has been enhanced, some activated at a regional level, others at the level of the individual ASLs. This has made it possible to obtain information relating to the assisted population and to estimate for 2005 the prevalence of drug use in a much larger population than that analyzed in the previous report, going from a "sample" of 7 million assisted mainly from the central-northern area of the country, to over 26 million citizens distributed throughout the national territory.
