A study on pattern of prescription of drugs in pregnancy with complications in a tertiary care teaching hospital: A cross-sectional study

Background: During pregnancy, women undergo various physiological changes and also suffer from some common illnesses like morning sickness, which may increase the prescription and use of drugs. Thalidomide tragedy of 1960 has created the concern regarding the use of medications during the pregnancy. Prescriber should be very vigilant, while prescribing the drugs for pregnant women because health of mother and fetus may be at risk. To prevent the morbidity and mortality of the mother and the fetus, safer and effective drugs have to be selected with utmost care. Aims and Objectives: Main objectives of our study were to determine the drugs used during complicated pregnancies and to assess the safety of drugs prescribed using the World Health Organization prescription indicators. Materials and Methods: After getting approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, this cross-sectional study was carried out in the obstetric department of tertiary care teaching hospital for a period of 3 months. Case sheets of pregnant women with complications were collected and the details regarding demography and complete prescription were collected in a predesigned proforma. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Among 160 pregnant women, 71% were multigravida and most of the participants belonged to age group of 20–30 years 84% (134). Disease pattern among pregnant women in our study revealed that common illnesses complicating pregnancy was anemia (51%), followed by pregnancy-induced hypertension, oligohydramnios, and gestational diabetes mellitus. The study showed that hematinics, calcium supplements, and protein powders were the class of medications used in most of the prescriptions, and then by antibiotics, antiemetic, and tocolytics agents. Category A of food and drug administration pregnancy drug category was used more, constituting about (45.12%). No drugs from Category X and D were prescribed to pregnant women and 45% of drugs belonged to generic drug. Conclusion: Anemia was the most common condition, complicating pregnancy and common class of drug used were hematinics and protein supplements. Category A drugs, which were the safest class, were prescribed more in our study. No drugs from Categories D and X were used. This indicates that prescribers are well aware of safer drugs in pregnancy.