Sales forecasting is a common topic in business. Our task is predicting a famous drug company daily sales for 1,115 stores located across Germany for six weeks in advance. Store sales are influenced by many factors. Our project aims to create a robust prediction model. Based on Gradient Boosting and Random Forest, our model performs well in this sales forecasting competition with resulting in r...

Background Good drug regulation requires an effective system for monitoring and inspection of manufacturing and sales units. In India, despite widespread agreement on this principle, ongoing shortages of drug inspectors have been identified by national committees since 1975. The growth of India’s pharmaceutical industry and its large export market makes the problem more acute.   Methods The foc...

This study examines the spatial relationship between drug availability and rates of drug use in neighborhood areas. Responses from 16,083 individuals were analyzed at the zip code level (n = 158) and analyses were conducted separately for youth and adults using spatial regression techniques. The dependent variable is the percentage of respondents using drugs in the past year. Neighborhood drug ...

In the May issue, Major et al. examined trends in adverse events associated with use of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) acetaminophen products (2009–2012) from data within three national surveillance systems reflecting calls to U.S. Poison Centers, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. The analysis included changes in the number of adverse events over time as well as trends...

PURPOSE Historical trends and factors likely to influence future pharmaceutical expenditures are discussed, and projections are made for drug spending in 2016 in nonfederal hospitals, clinics, and overall (all sectors). METHODS Drug expenditure data through calendar year 2015 were obtained from the IMS Health National Sales Perspectives database and analyzed. Other factors that may influence ...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the patterns and legal requirements of methylphenidate consumption. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of the data from prescription notification forms and balance lists of drugs sales - psychoactive and others - subject to special control in the fifth largest city of Brazil, in 2006. We determined the defined and prescribed daily doses, the average prescription a...

BACKGROUND In Bangladesh, pharmacy-purchased oral rehydration solution (ORS) is often used to treat diarrhea, including cholera. Over-the-counter sales have been used for epidemiologic surveillance in the past, but rarely, if ever, in low-income countries. With few early indicators for cholera outbreaks in endemic areas, diarrhea-related product sales may serve as a useful surveillance tool. ...

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a major infectious disease globally. Adequate and proper use of anti-TB drugs is essential for TB control. This study aims to study China's production capacity and sales situation of anti-TB drugs, and to further discuss the potential for China to contribute to global TB control. METHODS The production data of anti-TB drugs in China from 2011 to 2013 and the sa...