Application for disability pension and change in use of prescribed drugs. A regional Danish cohort study.

Aim: To investigate if a pending application for disability pension had an influence on the applicant's purchase of medical drugs, with a particular focus on musculoskeletal disorders and the use of painkillers.

Methods: We performed a registry-based follow-up study including 12,020 applicants for disability pension in a Danish county from 1995 to 2000 and linked this information to a database of drug prescriptions. Purchase of drug was calculated for the 6-month period just before the decision and for the 6-month period 2 years later.