Drug Utilization by Men and Women: Why the Differences?

Abstract

Women take more medication than men but the reason for this is not understood. This study will examine determinants of this difference in a large population-based database. Data are from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (N = 63000), a statistical sample of the Canadian population, which includes information on all drug products taken in the past two days and other variables. Women were twice as likely (OR =2.0) as men to take any drug product and while women comprised 51% of the population, they consumed 63.2% of drug products. This difference persisted for most drug classes, and was, paradoxically, the greatest where drug use was the least, for example, for the youngest age group, with the fewest physician visits. Factors affecting drug use may be grouped into physiological, lifestyle, healthcare, and other domains, all of which affect men and women differently. In spite of these differences, drug development research in the past was conducted largely on men and assumed to be universalizable to women. To explain differences between men and women, more gender-specific research is needed with the understanding that differences between men and women may be appropriate.

Predictors of medication use in the Roma population in Spain: a population-based national study

“…In line with the work of other authors, 24 the present results show significant differences in the use of medication by sex, showing that Roma females use more medication than Roma males (75.1% vs 62.3%). This may be due to a combination of factors, such as worse perception of health and greater comorbidity among females, which leads to a higher frequency of medical visits and therefore a greater likelihood for diagnosis.…”

Assessment of the medicines use pattern among the general public in the state of Penang, Malaysia

“…This may explain that this age group have higher concerns about their general health or they are more likely to face health problems and are trying to prevent the risk factors of chronic diseases by using health supplements, non‐processed herbs and herbal beverages. This finding is supported by previous studies showing the use of prescription and non‐prescription medicines is increasing with age . The use of vitamins, minerals and health supplements is associated with females.…”

“…The National Survey on the Use of Medicines (NSUM) completed by Malaysian consumers showed that around 40% of Malaysian consumers were using some form of pharmaceuticals, traditional health compounds and beauty products in their everyday life to manage their health, general well‐being and appearance . Previous studies have shown that the rate of medicines use is increased in older age groups, females and in the presence of chronic diseases . In addition, increased consumption of medicines was associated with higher levels of income and more educated people .…”

Desigualdade no acesso a medicamentos para doenças crônicas em mulheres brasileiras

“…As mulheres costumam buscar mais os serviços de saúde do que os homens 28,29 , e estudos desenvolvidos no Brasil e no exterior demonstram que há uma maior utilização de medicamentos entre elas, independentemente da idade 6,18,30,31,32,33 . Esses fatores demonstram a importância de elaborar estudos referentes ao acesso a medicamentos focando nessa parcela da população.…”