The Pharmacoepi-SIG was established in April 2025 and aims to foster collaboration within the AEA, support the development and application of pharmacoepidemiology methods in Australian real-world data (RWD), and drive innovation and capacity building in the field. New members are welcome, and it is open to all members of the AEA. 

Convenors: Michael Falster (m.falster@unsw.edu.au) and Kelly Hall (Kelly.Hall@unisa.edu.au). 

Sponsor: Sallie Pearson, Director NHMRC Medicines Intelligence Centre of Research Excellence 

What is Pharmacoepidemiology? 

Pharmacoepidemiology uses epidemiological methods to study the use, benefits, and safety of medicines in human populations. Prescribing a medicine is the most common health intervention globally. Medicines offer significant health benefits when used appropriately, but sub-optimal medicine use and misuse results in adverse health outcomes and wasted health resources. Pharmacoepidemiology leverages traditional epidemiological methods along with specialised approaches addressing unique methodological challenges to minimise bias and confounding in medicine use and outcomes studies. To uplift pharmacoepidemiology as a discipline in Australia, we need to harness our growing dispersed workforce to share skills, methods and data, and build collaborative and stakeholder networks. 

The Challenge 

Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) are essential for assessing treatment efficacy and short-term safety of medicines but fall short in their capacity to quantify all safety concerns and effectiveness in diverse populations. Long-term and rare outcomes often emerge only after widespread use, highlighting the need for robust research to understand how trial outcomes translate into real-world benefits and safety. 

 Bridging the Evidence Gap 

Over the past decade, real-world evidence (RWE) has gained significant recognition globally as an important way to address this knowledge gap. Derived from RWD, RWE offers deeper insights into the everyday use of medicines, complementing RCT findings. Advances in data linkage in Australia present new opportunities to expand the application and impact of pharmacoepidemiology research.