Pharmacoepidemiology: The essentials

AimIt is useful for a clinician to have a working knowledge of this science and hence this article reviews the essentials of pharmacoepidemiology for the practicing clinician.MethodsThis article is a compilation of information and examples from textbooks, guidelines, and various published articles and some real life examples to make it understandable.ResultsThis article discusses various types of pharmacoepidemiology study designs, their merits/demerits, growing importance of databases in research and methodological issues involved in pharmacoepidemiology.ConclusionThis article will sensitize clinicians regarding the importance of pharmacoepidemiology in their routine practice.