title: Association between change of health care providers and pregnancy exposure to FDA category C, D and X drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Changing health care providers frequently breaks the continuity of care, which is associated with many health care problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between a change of health care providers and pregnancy exposure to FDA category C, D and X drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 50% random sample of women who gave a birth in Saskatchewan between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2000 were chosen for this study. The association between the number of changes in health care providers and with pregnancy exposure to category C, D, and X drugs for those women with and without chronic diseases were evaluated using multiple logistical regression, with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as the association measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 18 568 women were included in this study. Rates of FDA C, D, and X drug uses were 14.35%, 17.07%, 21.72%, and 31.14%, in women with no change of provider, 1-2 changes, 3-5 changes, and more than 5 changes of health care providers. An association between the number of changes of health care providers and pregnancy exposure to FDA C, D, and X drugs existed in women without chronic diseases but not in women with chronic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Change of health care providers is associated with pregnancy exposure to FDA category C, D and X drugs in women without chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi 046000, China; McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; OMNI Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: Jianzhou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: OMNI Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Canada; Huaihua Medical College, Huaihua, Hunan 418000, China.
authors.forename: Rihua
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Heping Hospital, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi 046000, China. Email: yongjinwang2008@sohu.com.
authors.forename: Yongjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: OMNI Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi 046000, China.
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China; OMNI Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Email: swwen@ohri.ca.
authors.forename: Shi Wu
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D016208:Databases, Factual; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000187:drug effects*; D012525:Saskatchewan; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations