Electronic data sources for drug utilization research and healthcare decision-making in Mexico.

Background: Understanding drug utilization is essential for informed decision-making in national healthcare and for enabling comparisons across countries. In Mexico, the limited research in this field may be attributed to the lack of awareness and accessibility of existing data sources. Addressing this gap requires a comprehensive inventory of data sources for Drug Utilization Research (DUR). The purpose of this study was to develop an inventory of electronic data sources available in Mexico for DUR, outlining their characteristics, strengths, and limitations.

Methods: From 2019 to 2024, specialists in pharmacoepidemiology and healthcare systems research conducted online searches for DUR data sources, including official websites of the Mexican government and public health institutions. A literature review was also performed for country-specific data sources in articles published between 2000 and 2023. Data sources were independently searched, screened, and selected by independent reviewers, with disagreements resolved through consensus. A descriptive analysis of selected databases was conducted, focusing on accessibility, geographical coverage, data aggregation level, health sector type, data source type, and setting.

Results: The analysis included twenty data sources, of which only four were publicly available. These databases offer insights into various aspects of drug utilization, primarily owned by social security institutions (twelve). Only four contain data from the private healthcare sector. Regarding data source type, five focused on procurement, twelve on prescription, two on pharmacovigilance, and one on drug disposal.

Conclusions: Mexico faces notable challenges in accessible data for DUR especially in non-social security institutions and the private sector. This study underscores the urgent need to improve healthcare data accessibility and research in Mexico, to drive evidence-informed decision-making regarding medicines utilization.