title: Physician characteristics and prescription drug use during pregnancy: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to explore the relationship between physician characteristics and their prescribing behavior regarding category D and X drugs for pregnant women by using a population-based data set in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sampled population for the study included 14,430 women. These women received a total of 198,420 prescriptions during pregnancy. We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis by using generalized estimated equations to assess the odds ratio (OR) of the prescription for categories D and X drugs among doctors after adjusting for maternal age and chronic disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total 198,420 prescriptions, 4.2% were prescribed category D and X drugs. The covariate-adjusted odds for physicians aged between 40 and 49 years and 50 and 59 years for prescribing category D and X drugs to pregnant women were 1.22 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.15-1.31) and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.40-1.64) times that of physicians aged between 30 and 39 years, respectively. Male physicians were less likely to prescribe category D and X drugs to pregnant women than female physicians (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.63-0.75). In addition, physicians specializing in "other" specialties were more likely (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.41-1.54) to prescribe category D and X drugs compared with those specializing in obstetrics/gynecology, whereas physicians practicing in central Taiwan were less likely (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80-0.89) than their counterparts in other regions of Taiwan to prescribe category D and X drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that physician characteristics, including sex, age, specialty, and practice location, were associated with the prescription of category D and X drugs for pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Information and Logistics Management, National Taipei University of Technology Management, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sung-Shun
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Yi-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ching-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: I-Te
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Herng-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010820:Physicians; D011159:Population Surveillance; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013038:Specialization; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs