Grant: Operating Grant

Prescription drugs are a cornerstone of modern medicine, and have made significant contributions in reducing morbidity and mortality. Despite these benefits, there remain unresolved issues in drug evaluation which can result in negative consequences on clinical care. Current limitations in the evaluation of drug effectiveness include a lack of direct comparative studies and a lack of systematic inclusion of all pertinent evidence, particularly from real world settings. This can result in studies lacking the power to detect rare but meaningful side effects. To address these shortcomings we propose to employ new research techniques ( network meta-analysis and cross design synthesis) which both aim to broaden the evidence base that may be included in drug evaluation thereby providing a more complete and comprehensive view. Specifically we will employ these techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of new and old anti-arrhythmic drugs for atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac rhythm disturbance.