Migraine attacks in the pharmacy: a gender subanalysis on treatment preferences

In 2014 our group published the results of a survey conducted in Piedmont, Italy, on the patterns of use and dispensing of drugs in patients requesting assistance from pharmacists for relief of a migraine attack. Epidemiological studies on migraine have consistently shown that migraine is far more common among women than men. This gender difference is also reflected in the higher percentage of women visiting a pharmacy to obtain treatment or advice for headache attacks. In this study, we further explored gender differences in healthcare-seeking behavior and use of migraine medications. The aim of the study was to determine whether women made better selective use of migraine medications and whether visiting a headache center for consultation and treatment reflected awareness of how best to manage their condition. Among the drugs usually taken for relieving head pain, there was no statistically significant difference between men and women in the routine use of NSAIDs (55.6 vs. 51.6 %) or ergot derivatives (8.7 vs. 9.3 %). Statistically significant differences emerged between men and women (27.9 vs. 35.4 %) in the use of triptans (p = 0.003; OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.12–1.78) and in the use of combined medications (8.5 vs. 12.2 %) (p = 0.029; OR 1.49, 95 % CI 1.04–2.14) but not in the use of simple OTC non-NSAIDs. Less men than women sought professional medical care for managing migraine (65.7 vs. 72.4 %) (p = 0.003; OR 0.71, 95 % CI 0.57–0.89); more women than men sought treatment at a headache center (21.7 vs. 17.4 %) (p = 0.044; OR 1.31, 95 % CI 1.07–1.72).