Drug utilization pattern during pregnancy in North India.
Indian J Med Sci
;
2006 Jul; 60(7): 277-87
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-67939
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Pregnancy is a special physiological condition, where drug treatment presents a special concern.AIMS:
To evaluate the drug utilization pattern during pregnancy and to evaluate the effect of the educational and economic status on it..DESIGN:
The retrospective cross-sectional study.SETTING:
The postgraduate Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics of a medical college. and the antenatal clinic of the institution. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
Medical students filled 405 questionnaires after interviewing pregnant women (243 primigravida and 152 multigravida). All the collected questionnaires were analysed for various study parameters. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED 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.CONCLUSION:
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.
Full text:
Available
Index:
IMSEAR (South-East Asia)
Main subject:
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
/
Pharmaceutical Preparations
/
Chi-Square Distribution
/
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
/
Cross-Sectional Studies
/
Surveys and Questionnaires
/
Retrospective Studies
/
Adolescent
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prevalence study
/
Qualitative research
/
Risk factors
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Indian J Med Sci
Year:
2006
Type:
Article
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