title: Sex differences in the risk of receiving potentially inappropriate prescriptions among older adults.
abstract: to measure sex differences in the risk of receiving potentially inappropriate prescription drugs and to examine what are the factors that contribute to these differences.
  
  
  
  a retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  
  community setting of British Columbia, Canada.
  
  
  
  residents of British Columbia aged 65 and older (n = 660,679).
  
  
  
  we measured 2013 period prevalence of prescription dispensations satisfying the American Geriatrics Society's 2012 version of the Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. We used logistic regressions to test for associations between this outcome and a number of clinical and socioeconomic factors.
  
  
  
  a larger share of women (31%) than of men (26%) filled one or more potentially inappropriate prescription in the community. The odds of receiving potentially inappropriate prescriptions are associated with several clinical and socioeconomic factors. After controlling for those factors, community-dwelling women were at 16% higher odds of receiving a potentially inappropriate prescription than men (adjusted odds ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval = 1.12-1.21). Much of this sex difference stemmed from women's increased odds of receiving potentially inappropriate prescriptions for benzodiazepines and other hypnotics, for tertiary tricyclic antidepressants and for non-selective NSAIDs.
  
  
  
  there are significant sex differences in older adults' risk of receiving a potentially inappropriate prescription as a result of complex intersections between gender and other social constructs. Appropriate responses will therefore require changes in the information, norms and expectations of both prescribers and patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z3.
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z3.
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weymann
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Brandy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z3.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smolina
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z3.
authors.forename: Emilie J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gladstone
authors.affiliation: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mintzes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001955:British Columbia; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Beers criteria; inappropriate; older adults; older people; sex and gender; socioeconomic disparities