SEX-DIFFERENCES IN PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS - ANOTHER CASE OF DISCRIMINATION IN GENERAL-PRACTICE

Biological, social and behavioural factors influence doctors to prescr ibe different types of medications to male and female patients. Second ary analysis of data from the Australian Morbidity and Treatment Surve y 1990-1991 was conducted using multiple logistic regression to discri minate male and female patient encounters in general practice. The app roach used considered possible confounding influences of GP and patien t characteristics. The results showed that females were significantly more likely than males to receive prescriptions for: antibiotics; horm ones; drugs affecting the central nervous, cardiovascular and urogenit al systems; drugs for allergy and immune disorders; ear and nose topic al preparations, and skin preparations, even after taking into account morbidity differences. If males and females were treated according to their presenting problems, differences in morbidity patterns would ac count for the management differences. However, the present investigati on would suggest that GP and patient behaviours are also important fac tors that lead to differences in the prescriptions received by male an d female patients in general practice. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.