A team from Hospital de Sant Pau has analyzed sex-based differences in emergency department visits caused by medication-related health problems. The study, published in the journal Emergencias, reveals that women present more frequently with urgent consultations linked to certain adverse effects and types of medications.
The article, titled “Comprehensive Approach to Medication-Related Problems Leading to Emergency Department Visits From a Gender Perspective,” is part of the doctoral thesis of Connie Marin, a PhD candidate in Pharmacology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, under the supervision of Dr. Mireia Puig and Dr. Ana Juanes from Hospital de Sant Pau.
The research analyzed a cohort of 1,611 adult patients who visited the emergency department at Hospital de Sant Pau between 2021 and 2022 and were treated under the Código Medicamento (Medication Code) program. The results show that more than 55% of these visits involved women, with a significant increase in this proportion as age increased.
The researchers found significant differences between men and women in both the associated diagnoses and the types of medications involved in medication-related health problems. In the case of women, the most frequent consultations were related to:
The study also highlights a greater impact on women from medications acting on the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, and anti-infective agents.
The study was led by Dr. Mireia Puig, Dr. Jesús Ruíz, and Dr. Ana Juanes, with participation from the Código Medicamento Care Group at Hospital de Sant Pau, composed of professionals from various clinical fields.
“These findings reinforce the importance of integrating a gender perspective into pharmacological care to reduce inequalities and improve treatment safety,” the authors state.
Reference article:
Marín-Barcena C, Puig-Campmany M, Ruiz-Ramos J, Carazo-Díaz C, Vicente-Romero J, Juanes-Borrego A, Código Medicamento Group at Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Comprehensive approach to medication-related problems leading to emergency department visits from a gender perspective. Emergencias 2025;37:186–95. https://doi.org/10.55633/s3me/026.2025.
