Trends of Over-the-Counter and Prescribed Medication Use During Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background

Globally, unjustified medication use during pregnancy, a critical phase in human life, is a threat that compromises the safety of both, the mother and the child. We aim to investigate the prevalence of over-the-counter (OTC) or non-prescription and prescription medication use during pregnancy in women from the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the level of prior knowledge, and the sources of their information about medication hazard/safety.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administered questionnaire for 287 pregnant women visiting King Saud Medical City (KSMC) – outpatient departments for routine antenatal care during 3 months (1st Mar–31st May 2021). The questionnaire was developed by Navaro et al with 4 sections: socio-demographic data, medication use during pregnancy, level of knowledge, and relevant sources of information.

Results

The participants had a mean age of 32.21 years ± 6.41 (SD), and gestational age of 23.67 weeks ± 8.47. About 76.66% of them reported using medication during their current pregnancy: predominantly prescribed (86.36%). Women who used medication during pregnancy were slightly older; the mean difference was 1.97 years (95% CI 0.23–3.71) (P=0.027). Women living in an urban environment as compared with rural had a higher prevalence of medication use (79.01% vs 52%) (P=0.002). Overall, 58.19% reported using non-prescribed medications during pregnancy, with analgesics as the most frequently used class (70.30%). The mild nature of the illnesses and availability of an old prescription and information from pharmacists were the main reasons for self-medication. About 40.77% denied receiving any information about medication use during pregnancy.

Conclusion

The prevalence of the medication use during pregnancy in our population is alarmingly high. Analgesics were the most frequently used. Lack of adequate information from treating physicians appears to be contributory to self-medication during this critical time.

Keywords:

• nursing
• antenatal care
• pregnancy care
• prescription medication
• non-prescription medications
• over-the-counter
• fetal health and development
• self-medication

Ethical Approval

The study protocol was reviewed and approved by Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University Institutional Review Board (IRB) (PGS-2021-04-092), as well as King Saud Medical City, IRB (H1RI-14-Mar 21-01). The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles in the Declaration of Helsinki (2013), the ICH Harmonized Tripartite Good Clinical Practice Guidelines, and the laws of Saudi Arabia. An informed written consent was obtained from all participants, and the questionnaire was given after explaining to each woman by the researchers the purpose of the study, data protection, and privacy.

Consent for Publication

The authors grant Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare the consent to publish the manuscript.

Acknowledgment

We are very grateful to all the patients that kindly participated in our study.

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research has not been funded by any source.