Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?

Background: This study aimed to determine whether community pharmacists perceive barriers to providing medication guidance for gender-specific diseases and to clarify whether these perceived barriers are influenced by pharmacist and patient gender concordance or discordance. Methods: A web-based sur...

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Main Authors: Manato Nomi, Ryota Kumaki, Rieko Takehira, Etsuko Arita, Keiko Kishimoto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000836
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author Manato Nomi
Ryota Kumaki
Rieko Takehira
Etsuko Arita
Keiko Kishimoto
author_facet Manato Nomi
Ryota Kumaki
Rieko Takehira
Etsuko Arita
Keiko Kishimoto
author_sort Manato Nomi
collection DOAJ
description Background: This study aimed to determine whether community pharmacists perceive barriers to providing medication guidance for gender-specific diseases and to clarify whether these perceived barriers are influenced by pharmacist and patient gender concordance or discordance. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted with pharmacists from five pharmacy groups in Japan. The questionnaire evaluated pharmacists' hesitancy and uncertainty in knowledge using a 7-point Likert scale across 10 gender-specific and three nongender-specific diseases. Each disease was examined under conditions of gender concordance and discordance between a pharmacist and patient. Results were visualized using scatter plots, and the factors contributing to barriers were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Results: A total of 1315 responses were obtained, including 696 from female pharmacists and 583 from male pharmacists. Among the 10 gender-specific diseases, 9 were in the first quadrant, indicating high hesitancy and uncertainty under gender discordance. However, some diseases exhibited high perceived barriers even under gender concordance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that pharmacists' implicit assumptions, such as perceiving patients' unwillingness to receive guidance, significantly contributed to stronger perceived barriers. Furthermore, neither years of professional experience nor medication guidance frequency was associated with reduced barriers. Conclusion: Community pharmacists perceived significant barriers to providing medication guidance for certain gender-specific diseases. These barriers existed in cases of gender discordance and concordance with patients. Pharmacists' experience alone is insufficient to reduce these perceptions, highlighting the need for educational interventions addressing implicit assumptions related to gender-specific care.
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spelling doaj-art-35791a9517c741a1a4d3f2b5acd66f6f2025-08-20T03:04:54ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662025-12-012010064210.1016/j.rcsop.2025.100642Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?Manato Nomi0Ryota Kumaki1Rieko Takehira2Etsuko Arita3Keiko Kishimoto4Saera Co., Ltd., Saera Pharmacy Todakōen Branch, Japan; Department of Social Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa Medical University, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Social Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa Medical University, Tokyo, JapanLaboratory of Medical Psychology, Pharmaceutical Education Research Center, Kitasato University School of Pharmacy, Tokyo, JapanLaboratory of Medical Psychology, Pharmaceutical Education Research Center, Kitasato University School of Pharmacy, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Social Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa Medical University, Tokyo, Japan; Corresponding author at: Department of Social Pharmacy, Showa Medical University Graduate School of Pharmacy, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan.Background: This study aimed to determine whether community pharmacists perceive barriers to providing medication guidance for gender-specific diseases and to clarify whether these perceived barriers are influenced by pharmacist and patient gender concordance or discordance. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted with pharmacists from five pharmacy groups in Japan. The questionnaire evaluated pharmacists' hesitancy and uncertainty in knowledge using a 7-point Likert scale across 10 gender-specific and three nongender-specific diseases. Each disease was examined under conditions of gender concordance and discordance between a pharmacist and patient. Results were visualized using scatter plots, and the factors contributing to barriers were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Results: A total of 1315 responses were obtained, including 696 from female pharmacists and 583 from male pharmacists. Among the 10 gender-specific diseases, 9 were in the first quadrant, indicating high hesitancy and uncertainty under gender discordance. However, some diseases exhibited high perceived barriers even under gender concordance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that pharmacists' implicit assumptions, such as perceiving patients' unwillingness to receive guidance, significantly contributed to stronger perceived barriers. Furthermore, neither years of professional experience nor medication guidance frequency was associated with reduced barriers. Conclusion: Community pharmacists perceived significant barriers to providing medication guidance for certain gender-specific diseases. These barriers existed in cases of gender discordance and concordance with patients. Pharmacists' experience alone is insufficient to reduce these perceptions, highlighting the need for educational interventions addressing implicit assumptions related to gender-specific care.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000836Gender-specific diseasesMedication guidanceCommunity pharmacistsGender concordance/discordanceImplicit assumptions
spellingShingle Manato Nomi
Ryota Kumaki
Rieko Takehira
Etsuko Arita
Keiko Kishimoto
Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
Gender-specific diseases
Medication guidance
Community pharmacists
Gender concordance/discordance
Implicit assumptions
title Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?
title_full Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?
title_fullStr Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?
title_full_unstemmed Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?
title_short Does pharmacist–patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender-specific diseases?
title_sort does pharmacist patient gender discordance influence medication guidance for gender specific diseases
topic Gender-specific diseases
Medication guidance
Community pharmacists
Gender concordance/discordance
Implicit assumptions
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000836
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