OBJECTIVES: aim of the study is to determine pharmacoepidemiological characteristics of treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to improve pharmacotherapy schemes in healthcare of the Republic of Belarus.

METHODS: the study was carried out by the method of continuous active retrospective monitoring using medical documentation of 16 patients from the district of Minsk with seven year’s time horizon from 2009 to 2016. To determine the indications / contraindications to the use of drugs an analysis of the actual at the time of the research (2017) of the drug instructions published in the Register of Medicines of the Republic of Belarus was performed. Epidemiological and pharmacoepidemiological data were collected. ATC / DDD methodology was used with the calculation of the established daily dose of drugs for six months.

RESULTS: the average age of patients at the onset of the disease was 64 years ± 7 years, the average age at the time of death was 66 ± 6 years, the average duration of the disease from the beginning to the death was 2 ± 1.1 years. The first group of disability was exposed to 56.2% of patients, in 43.8% of patients the second group was exposed. The next medications were used - thioctic acid-180,000 DDD / half a year; carbamazepine 72000DDD / half a year; choline alphoscerate-4032 DDD / half a year; neuromidine - 360 DDD / half a year; vinpocetine-360 DDD / half a year; mildronate - 240 DDD / half a year.

CONCLUSIONS: establishing a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for the patient is guaranteed to lead to disability and death. Drugs with a lack of evidence of efficacy and symptomatic therapy of concomitant diseases and complications take the main place in the pharmacotherapy. Having accurate incidence, pharmacoepidemiology and consequences estimates would facilitate efficient allocation of healthcare resources.