BACKGROUND: New sources of reliable data for pharmacoepidemiologic research are needed. In Aragon (Spain), The EpiChron Research Group on Chronic Diseases has developed the EpiChron Cohort linking clinical, services utilization and administrative information contained in Aragon's health registries.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the EpiChron Cohort in the context of an European regulatory multidatabase study of characteristics of new users of cilostazol.
METHODS: We identified and described a subcohort of new users of cilostazol between 2009 and 2012.
RESULTS: The EpiChron Cohort covers all individuals enrolled in the public health system of the region of Aragon in Northern Spain with approximately 1.3 population from 2010 onwards. The database is based on information from the health registries of primary and secondary care, and it contains detailed data on all prescription medicines dispensed in the community pharmacies. The following data are linked at patient level: administrative data, clinical information from primary care, emergency departments and hospital discharges, hospital procedures, health services use (primary, specialised, hospital and emergency care), pharmacy expenditure and health outcomes as mortality. Studies are to be conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Public Health and Health Services Research. Access to medical records by EpiChron researchers to validate potential cases or to complete additional clinical information is possible is stated by the research protocol and approved by the Research Ethical Committee. A total of 4,024 subjects had a recorded prescription for cilostazol, 72% were men, the median age was 70.0 years, and 74.5% had a history of cardiovascular diseases other than peripheral arterial disease. Hypertension was the most frequent cardiovascular condition (54.9% of users). About 82% of users were concurrently treated with CYP3A4 or CYP2C19 interacting medications, and 10% with potent CYP3A4 or CYP2C19 inhibitors.
CONCLUSIONS: The EpiChron Cohort is useful for populationbased pharmacoepidemiological studies, contains primary and secondary care data and detailed information on prescriptions dispensed, and it allows access to medical records for case validation.
