Prescriptions for category D and X drugs during pregnancy in Taiwan: a population‐based study. (28th February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kao, Li‐Ting; Chen, Yi‐Hua; Lin, Herng‐Ching; Chung, Shiu‐Dong
• Is Part Of: Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety. Volume 23:Number 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1029
• Page End: 1034
• Publication Date: 2014-02-28
• Subjects: Pharmacoepidemiology -- Periodicals; Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; 615.705
• DOI: 10.1002/pds.3599
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1053-8569

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <sec id="pds3599-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Purpose</title> <p>This study aimed to investigate the most prescribed medications and principle diagnoses for category D and X drugs during pregnancy using a population‐based dataset in Taiwan.</p> </sec> <sec id="pds3599-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>The data for the present study were sourced from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. We selected 14 125 women who had live singleton births between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011. In total, 217 226 prescriptions prescribed to these pregnant women were identified.</p> </sec> <sec id="pds3599-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Of the total 217 226 prescriptions, 1.1% were category D or X drugs; in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, 1.8%, 0.7%, and 0.5% of prescriptions were category D or X drugs, respectively. Progestins (15.3%) and propylthiouracil (10.7%) were the two most frequently prescribed category D or X drugs during pregnancy. In particular, progestins (20.4%) and estrogens (15.6%) were the most frequently prescribed category D or X drug in the first trimester of pregnancy. Propylthiouracil was the most prescribed category D or X drug in the second (20.3%) and third trimesters (23.1%) of pregnancy, respectively. The most common principal diagnosis during pregnancy was "disorders of menstruation and other abnormal bleeding from the female genital tract" (22% of all principal diagnoses for prescribing category D and X drugs).</p> </sec> <sec id="pds3599-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Our study found that the physicians obviously reduced the use of category D and X drugs for women after becoming aware that they were pregnant. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</p> </sec> </abstract>