Background: Drug utilization research (DUR) is one of the oldest and foundational areas of pharmacoepidemiology. The field has evolved greatly from early work l describing medication use to more advanced uses of real-world data (RWD) to evaluate, forecast, and assess impacts of policy and changes in clinical practice. Deeply rooted in strong relationships with clinical and health system partners, DUR studies allow for impactful translation of research findings. An exponential growth in availability of RWD sources and use of medications has pushed the field to the forefront of evidence generation for key regulatory decision-making.

Objectives: This symposium brings together a global panel to discuss various DUR study designs and methods that have informed clinical practice and drug policy across four countries and key therapeutic areas. Attendees should expect to learn how state-of-the-art DUR methodologies and dissemination strategies are used to inform real-world action.

Description: Our panel of global DUR experts will guide attendees through four clinical areas from Australia, US, Denmark and Canada. The panelists will draw from real-life studies and experiences to illustrate the use and implications of insights gained from interdisciplinary DUR studies. Special emphasis will be made on methods for evaluating changes and impact of policies. The panelists will highlight important and practical considerations for knowledge translation and engagement with end-knowledge users, key policy stakeholders, and advocacy groups. Finally, a panel discussion will provide the audience with an opportunity to discuss study designs to influence policy and strategic engagement/communication with key stakeholders to ensure meaningful impact. Format: The symposium will begin with a brief introduction (5min) followed by presentations from each panelist (20min each). Gillian Caughey will present on real-world evidence generation to improve medication-related quality of care in aged care and impacts on policy and practice in Australia (key therapeutic area: geriatrics). Juan Hincapie-Castillo will discuss how leveraging real-world evidence can be used to shape national health policy through strategic collaborations in the United States (key therapeutic area: pain and use disorders). Lotte Rasmussen will offer insights gained from DUR to improve clinical practice for children and adolescent mental health care in Denmark (key therapeutic area: pediatrics / psychiatry). Finally, Mina Tadrous will walk the audience through case examples on working with policymakers with examples related to drug shortages, biosimilars and opioids. The symposium will wrap up with a Q&A panel session with the audience (10 min).