PHARMACEUTICAL SALES - A METHOD OF DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

A dramatic increase in sales of nonprescription antidiarrheal medicati ons in 1995 alerted public health officials to a massive cryptosporidi osis outbreak in Milwaukee. To determine whether similar sales increas es occurred during other large enteric disease outbreaks, investigator s of four other crytosporidiosis outbreaks were contacted. Limited sal es increases during two outbreaks and a large sales increase during an other outbreak were observed. A survey of all state health departments found that 10 reported using or considering using drug sales for some disease surveillance activities. To ascertain the feasibility of moni toring drug sales as a method of disease surveillance, an antidiarrhea l-drug-sales surveillance program was established in New Mexico. Sever al sources, including retail drug stores, manufacturers, and national database companies and marketers, were contacted, but these sources we re either unable to provide the sales information or unable to provide it inexpensively. By contrast, statewide data were obtained at a reas onable cost from a New Mexico drug distributor. The patterns of monthl y drug sales of antidiarrheal medications varied significantly over th e course of a year and by geographic area. Temporal variations in call s concerning diarrhea to a local nurse hotline partially matched the v ariation in monthly drug sales.