title: Ovulation-inducing drugs: a drug utilization and risk study in the Dutch population.
abstract: This study describes the use of the ovulation stimulating drugs clomifene, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) in a representative sample of a population of Dutch women in the child-bearing age group. Clomifene or hMG/hCG are seldom used alone. A considerable percentage of the women received at least four different ovulation-inducing and related drugs during the observation period of two years. Thirty percent of the women who used clomifene were treated for 6 or more cycles. These findings argue for a relative "overuse" and "misuse" of clomifene. Buserelin, a drug not registered for the indication ovulation induction in The Netherlands but used in in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs as inhibitors of pituitary gonadotropin production, was nevertheless prescribed to 38% of the hMG /hCG users and to 11 % of the clomifene users. Our study indicates that, though the potential risks of congenital malformations due to clomifene are difficult to assess, they may be considerable; this, and the fact that different ovulation-inducing drugs are used together with clomifene, emphasizes the need for post-marketing surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, Pharmacy and Society, State University Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: de Jong-van den Berg
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cornel
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bortolussi
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Twerda
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lappöhn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wesseling