Drug utilization pattern during pregnancy in North India.
BACKGROUND
Pregnancy is a special physiological condition, where drug treatment presents a special concern.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the drug utilization pattern during pregnancy and to evaluate the effect of the educational and economic status on it..


METHODS
The retrospective cross-sectional study.


METHODS
The postgraduate Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics of a medical college. and the antenatal clinic of the institution.


METHODS
Medical students filled 405 questionnaires after interviewing pregnant women (243 primigravida and 152 multigravida). All the collected questionnaires were analysed for various study parameters.


METHODS
Inter-group comparison was done using chi-square test. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
A total of 700, 1086 and 686 drugs, with an average of 1.73, 2.89 and 2.49 drugs per pregnant women, were used during first, second and third trimester of pregnancy, respectively. A majority of the drugs used, were from category-A, followed by category-B and category-D. However, category C and X drugs constituted 2.90 (20) and 5.71% (40) of drugs used during the third trimester and first trimester, respectively. Herbal/homeopathic drugs constituted 6.42 (45), 3.68 (40) and 1.46% (10) of the drugs used in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy, respectively (P=649). 33.33% (135) women believed that drug use during pregnancy is dangerous to both mother and child and 37.03% (150) believed that drugs are dangerous throughout pregnancy. 55.55% (225) females advocated the use of iron/folic acid during pregnancy. 24.69% (100) of women had knowledge about barrier contraceptives. Self-medication and homeopathic/ herbal drugs use was found more in graduates than in undergraduates; as well as, it was more in the higher socioeconomic group than the lower socioeconomic group.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need to educate and counsel women of child-bearing age, regarding the advantages and disadvantages of drug use during pregnancies, with special reference to alternative therapies and self-medication.
Sharma
Rashmi
R
Postgraduate Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Govt. Medical College, Gandhi-Nagar, Jammu (Tawi) 180 004, India. rashmichams@yahoo.com
Kapoor
Bhuvneshvar
B
Verma
Ujala
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations