I learned from my own experience that both in academia and pharmaceutics, prompt identification and selection of an adequate database is very important. In an academic setting, analyzing data from registries is particularly of great advantage in countries with limited financial resources for research which requires significant investment. In pharmaceuticals there is an increasing request from regulatory authorities for companies to conduct post-authorization safety studies. B.R.I.D.G.E. TO DATA (BTD) contains detailed descriptions of databases from more than 70 countries, including descriptions of pregnancy registries. It is impressive that using BTD one can find information on databases even from small countries.

The compendium maintained by BTD is a unique one with descriptions of databases from all over the world. Databases are described in a uniform way allowing fast comparison and selection of a database of interest.  BTD also has contact details of individuals responsible for maintaining the database. It is user friendly and has video tutorials that provide a potential user with a short and comprehensive training on how to navigate through the profiles. Having access to ~500 descriptions of databases from all over the world saves time and money and allows a prompt identification of a suitable database.

I highly recommend researchers in the field of pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and related disciplines to use BTD to identify a suitable database which will meet the needs of their research. Also, pharmaceutical companies should look more often at the databases described by BTD if they are required to conduct PASS studies, or for those in medical affairs or clinical science who need additional information.