Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Gender-based disparities in medication access remain a challenge in clinical and economic contexts. Women are more likely to experience cost-related non-adherence (CRN) and often pay higher prices for identical or similar health products, a phenomenon known as the “Pink Tax.” While these differences persist even after adjusting for income, insurance status and health conditions, the results reveal inconsistencies and gaps in pricing structures. We aimed to investigate gender-based price differences in drugs for Germany.
METHODS: We conducted a quantitative analysis and comparison of German drug prices. Pricing data was obtained from the German Lauer-Taxe database (cut-off 15^th of June 2025). Currently sold drugs from the same therapeutic areas were compared by equal dosage strength or price per unit. Prices for women and men were calculated. Additionally, annual therapy costs of newly approved substances (2023-2025) in first-line breast and prostate cancer were analysed.
RESULTS: The prices of 75 currently sold drugs were analysed, 29 of them were over-the-counter (OTC) products. Women’s drugs, especially for pain, hair loss, urinary tract infection, and fertility, were priced higher in the majority of cases. In first-line cancer treatment 9 therapy regimens were analysed. Breast cancer drugs revealed mostly higher annual therapy costs as well, with many drug regimens being double the price for breast cancer than for prostate cancer.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that for general prescription drugs, OTC products, and first-line cancer therapies, prices are often (considerably) higher for women. It should be noted that most of these drugs are reimbursed by the German statutory health insurance. However, OTC drugs expose women to higher costs. This overall trend underlines discrepancies, not only for women individually, but also for healthcare systems. Further research is needed on gender-based pricing to introduce more inclusive and fair healthcare policies.