4.4. Use of official registers

National prescription data from Social Insurance Institution were utilized to compare the use of psychotropics in the late 1990s by all Finnish home-dwelling elderly and by the elderly in Lieto. The national data revealed the proportions of the elderly per 1000 persons who purchased psychotropic drugs at least once during the year 1999.

The national health insurance scheme refunds part the cost of medicines prescribed by a physician for the treatment of an illness. The coverage of the prescription register is, in practice, nearly 100% of all reimbursed medications. (Social Insurance Institution 2000)