The Pattern of Drug Use and Their FDA Categories in Pregnant Women Referring to Medical and Health Centers in Hamadan

Introduction & The use of medications during pregnancy poses a potential risk to both mother and the fetus. FDA classifies various drugs used in pregnancy, and provides therapeutic guidance for the clinician. The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of drug consumption during pregnancy. This descriptive-analytic study was performed using questionnaire and interview. Two hundred pregnant women who were in the third trimester of pregnancy referring to health centers in Hamadan city were participated in the study. The results showed that 44% of women took at least one drugother than a vitamin or mineral supplement during the pregnancy. Users took a mean number of 1.7 drugs in which 11.4% had been self- administered. The most frequently used drugs were analgesics in first trimester, antibiotics in second trimester and gastrointestinal drugs in third trimester. Self-administered of drug intake during pregnancy was significantly associated with education (P<0.05).A high proportion of the women received drugs from B category in all trimesters. Drug administration from X category in first trimester was more than second and third trimester.A large proportion of women were taking drugs during pregnancy and the most commonly drugs were analgesics in the first trimester. The women in the first trimester were exposed to drugs from X category that contraindicated in pregnancy, most commonly to sex hormones.