PREGNANCY

Background: Managing medical complications in pregnancy is a challenge to clinicians since only a few medicines have been specifically tested for safety. Objectives: The prescription pattern for pregnant women who attended antenatal clinic visits was assessed and the level of adherence of prescribers to protocol on the use of medicines in pregnancy was assessed. The prevalence of different medical conditions among pregnant who attended the antenatal clinic was evaluated. Methods: Medical case files of 201 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinic visits were systematically sampled and investigated from a population of 789 pregnant women who registered for antenatal clinic visits and received prescriptions within the period of study (December 2022 to May 2023). Disease pattern was determined from their diagnoses. The prescription pattern was assessed using WHO indicators, and the United States Food and Drug Administration classification of medicines according to risk to the foetus
Results: Among the 201 pregnant women, 56.72% were in the age group of 25-34, which happened to be the majority and represents the normal reproductive age. Among the medical conditions to which drugs were prescribed in different trimesters, malaria was the most common ailment which comprised 22.45%, 37.56%, and 29.53% in the first, second, and third trimesters respectively. Out of the total drugs prescribed, category A comprised 8.92%, category B 46.79% and category C 36.62%. Category D and X were not prescribed. The average number of drugs per prescription was 3.18, Percentages encountered with antibiotics, injections, and generics were 11.11%, 7.36%, and 86.70% respectively. Conclusion: Malaria fever occurred most frequently (32.75%) followed by upper respiratory tract (11.91%) and fungal infection (8.68%) among the pregnant women. The average number of prescriptions per encounter was much higher than WHO standard, indicating occurrence of polypharmacy. There was no occurrence of contraindicated drugs. WHO core indicators of good prescription behaviour were adhered to with regard to the use of antibiotics, injections and generic names in prescriptions.