Patterns, Potential Teratogenicity, and Associated Factors of Drugs Prescribed to Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Units in Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Debre Tabor, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: About 80% of pregnant women use at least one medication during their pregnancy period. Many drugs that are not allowed to be used during pregnancy (from FDA Pregnancy Categories D and X) were used. Irrational use of these drugs during pregnancy may result in different birth defects, as explained by thalidomide and diethylstilbestrol’s tragedy. Knowledge of drug utilization and associated factors that affect the pattern is important to enhance rational prescribing. But information about prescription patterns and associated factors among pregnant women is scarce in the Debre Tabor area and generally in Ethiopia. Objective: This study was aimed at assessing drug prescription patterns, potential teratogenicity, and associated factors among pregnant women attending the antenatal care unit at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Debre Tabor, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective cross‐sectional study design was performed on 359 pregnant women attending antenatal care units from June 01, 2022, to August 30, 2022, in the hospital. Necessary data were obtained through a questionnaire by reviewing the medical charts of the women. Analysis of the data was performed using SPSS Version 23. The association of the independent variables to medication use was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Most of the study participants (325/359) were married (90.5%). From a total of 359 participants, 350 (97.5%) were prescribed with drugs. About 64% (385/602) of the prescribed medications were iron and vitamins. The most commonly prescribed medications are iron and folic acid combination (340/602, 56.5%), albendazole (48/602, 8%), mebendazole (37/602, 6.1%), omeprazole (33/602, 5.5%), followed by amoxicillin (32/602, 5.3%). The majority (79.3%) of the drugs were from FDA Pregnancy Categories A and B. Prescribed drug utilization was more probable in women who first visited the facility at their second (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI [1.12–6.64]) and third trimesters (AOR = 4.32, 95% CI [1.37–6.81]), had chronic illness (AOR = 7.54, 95% CI [2.34–14.68]), and live in rural areas (AOR = 2.47, 95% CI [1.56–8.43]). Conclusion: The study revealed that the prescription pattern in the hospital is in line with the WHO reference. Age, gravidity, number of ANC visits, first visit to the facility, presence of chronic illness, educational status, and residency were significantly associated with prescription drug use in pregnant mothers. But still, some pregnant women received drugs that may have teratogenicity risk (FDA Category C).