The Nordic countries have a long tradition of drug utilization research, with pioneering studies conducted already in the 1960s. We were also pioneers in epidemiology with unique identifiers given to all citizens and large population-based health registries. However, pharmacoepidemiologists had to wait until mid-2000s before individual level data on dispensed prescription medicines were available at a nationwide scale in all Nordic countries. This opened a new world of possibilities.
The aim of this presentation is to present an overview of opportunities and challenges in the Nordic countries studying medication during different stages of life from pregnancy and children to elderly.