title: [Sex-specific differences in drug utilisation in different phases of life].
abstract: The aim of the present study is to analyse sex-specific differences in drug utilisation during different phases of life using relevant diseases as examples. We used a cohort of 1.7 million subjects who were insured with the Gmünder ErsatzKasse (GEK), a German health insurance fund, for at least one day in all four quarters of 2009. We analysed subjects with outpatient diagnoses of the following diseases: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (0-17 years), hypothyroidism (18-49 years), osteoporosis (50-79 years) and coronary heart disease (80 + years). Analysis was performed on an active-substance level. A number of differences were observed in drug treatment for the selected diseases (for example, substances for ADHD were prescribed more often in males and for hypothyroidism more often in females), as well as in prescribing practices relating to other drugs used in these groups. However, clear explanations for these differences, such as drug approval status, were not always apparent.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Gesundheitsökonomie, Gesundheitspolitik und Versorgungsforschung, Zentrum für Sozialpolitik (ZeS), Universität Bremen, Postfach 330440, 28334, Bremen, Deutschland, hoffmann@zes.uni-bremen.de.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boeschen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Glaeske
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmiemann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Windt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D063507:Sexism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult