Physicians’ gender and specialty in relation to adverse drug reaction reporting in Sweden

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate the possible influence of gender and specialty on adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting among physicians before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This retrospective nationwide register study analysed all ADR reports submitted by physicians to the Swedish Medical Products Agency during 2017 and 2023 ( n = 4079 and 3740, respectively). The reporting rates were calculated and stratified by gender and specialty. Results The highest reporting rate among physicians was observed in medical specialties, followed by primary care and psychiatry (27, 10, and 12, reports/100 physicians in 2017; 18, 15, and 9 in 2023). The lowest reporting rates were observed for surgical and hospital service specialties (8 and 1 in 2017; 6 and 1 in 2023). Male and female physicians reported ADRs to a similar extent and both reported more frequently on female patients. Gender concordance between physician and patient was associated with significantly higher reporting ( p < 0.001 in 2017; p = 0.041 in 2023). Conclusion Reporting varied across specialties, and gender concordance emerged as a previously unrecognized factor influencing ADR reporting. These findings provide new opportunities for targeted interventions to enhance physician participation in pharmacovigilance.

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