• Y Zopf, C Rabe, A Neubert, C Janson, K Brune, E G Hahn, and H Dormann.
• Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, DE-91054 Erlangen, Germany. yurdaguel.zopf @ uk-erlangen.de
• Pharmacology. 2009 Jan 1; 84 (6): 333-9.

Background/AimThe female gender appears to suffer from more adverse drug reactions (ADRs) than the male gender. So far, there has been no epidemiologic study analyzing gender-based differences in drug prescribing and its ADR risks. The aim of the present study was to establish a drug risk stratification adjusted to age, number of prescriptions and drug classes with respect to gender differences based on intensive data acquisition methods.MethodA prospective multicenter study was conducted in several departments in Germany and Israel (pediatrics, medicine and geriatrics) enclosing 2,371 inpatients.ResultsA total of 25,532 drug prescriptions during hospitalization were evaluated. At least 1 ADR was found in 774 patients (32.6%). Drugs for the cardiovascular system, nervous system, alimentary tract and musculoskeletal system were prescribed most often in females. The following drug classes led significantly more often to ADRs in women as compared to men: alimentary tract (OR 0.5; p = 0.0002), cardiovascular system (OR 0.72; p = 0.0140), musculoskeletal system (OR 0.31; p = 0.0004) and nervous system (OR 0.62; p = 0.0023). After adjustment to age, total number of prescriptions and drug class, only anti-infectives (antibacterials) and musculoskeletal system (anti-inflammatory) drugs stand out as causing more ADRs in women.ConclusionAntibacterials and anti-inflammatory agents cause more ADRs in females as compared to males.Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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