Monitoring pregabalin use through online interest: A trend analysis using google search and consumption data

Background: Google Trends (GT) offers the novel approach for real-time monitoring of pregabalin-related online interest. Aim: We examined whether the online interest in pregabalin captured by GT could approximate temporal trends and correlate with cross-national and state-level patterns of pregabalin consumption globally and in India. Methods: Relative Search Volume (RSV) for “pregabalin” was retrieved from GT for global and Indian data (2008–2018). Consumption data were sourced from the IQVIA-MIDAS database and expressed as defined daily doses per 10,000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID). For India, in the absence of state-level pregabalin consumption data, prevalence of opioid and sedative use was used as proxy indicators. Temporal trends were analyzed using Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing, changepoint analysis, and cross-correlation function (CCF) with lagged regression. Pearson’s correlation assessed cross-sectional associations between RSV and consumption data across 42 countries (2018) and 32 Indian states (2019). Results: Online interest in pregabalin increased significantly over time globally (F = 202.28, P < 0.0001). CCF analysis showed strongest association at lag 0 (XCF = 0.98, P < .0001), indicating that online search interest and actual consumption occurred concurrently in the same year. RSV and pregabalin consumption were modestly correlated across countries (r = 0.44, P = 0.003). In India, state-level RSV moderately correlated with opioid (r = 0.44, P = 0.01) and sedative (r = 0.37, P = 0.04) use. Conclusion: GT has a potential role in monitoring online interest related to pregabalin, which may serve as an indirect indicator of public engagement or awareness.