Accuracy and reliability

Overall accuracy

Pharmacies are required by law to report the sale of prescription medicines. The pharmacies often reports through their own IT system, which reduces the risk of misreporting.

Sampling error

Not relevant for this statistic

Non-sampling error

The statistics cover the sale of medicines via prescription, it does not however guarantee that the medicines have actually been used.

Quality management

Statistics Denmark follows the recommendations on the organisation and management of quality set out in the Code of Practice for European Statistics and the accompanying implementation model, the Quality Assurance Framework. Read more about these on the page Quality in official statistics.

Quality management is supported by common principles, guidelines and managerial responsibility for quality in statistical products and processes. The aim is to ensure a systematic and consistent approach to quality across the entire statistical production.

Quality assurance

Quality assurance at Statistics Denmark is integrated into the statistical production processes and is carried out in accordance with the principles of the Code of Practice for European Statistics. Read more on the page Quality in official statistics.

Quality assurance includes the continuous use of standardised procedures, documentation in line with international standards and internal controls related to data collection, data processing and dissemination. Experience gained from production is continuously used to identify needs for adjustments and improvements.

Quality assessment

Pharmacies are legally required to report data to the Danish Health Data Agency, but the underlying source data cover only sales of prescription-only medicines for human use. A recorded purchase therefore does not necessarily mean that the person who bought the medicine actually used it. In addition, the statistics do not include purchases of over-the-counter medicines, nor do they cover medicines administered in hospitals or used in general practice.

Data revision - policy

Statistics Denmark revises published figures in accordance with the Revision Policy for Statistics Denmark. The common procedures and principles of the Revision Policy are for some statistics supplemented by a specific revision practice.

Data revision practice

Statistics Denmark revises published figures in accordance with the Revision Policy for Statistics Denmark. The common procedures and principles of the Revision Policy are for some statistics supplemented by a specific revision practice.