Pharmacist Counseling of Pregnant or Lactating Women
Pregnancy and breast-feeding are common conditions or situations that lead women to pharmacies for products, advice, or both. By virtue of their training, knowledge, and professional judgment, pharmacists should be well positioned to play a role in the selection and appropriate use of medications by pregnant and lactating women. Such a role is consistent with the responsibilities embodied in the pharmaceutical care concept and with pharmacists' high level of accessibility to patients. However, the role of the pharmacist in providing counseling to this special patient population has not been well described. An extensive literature search on this subject revealed an absence of published data.
Similarly, little information has been published about medication use in pregnant women. According to Splinter et al., only five surveys were conducted in the United States between 1974 and 1988 to determine medication use during pregnancy, and only two of these included over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
In the study described in this article, we examined the practices of pharmacists advising women who were pregnant or breast-feeding. Because of the paucity of data noted above, we selected the content for the survey based on our own professional knowledge and experience in this practice area.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding are common conditions or situations that lead women to pharmacies for products, advice, or both. By virtue of their training, knowledge, and professional judgment, pharmacists should be well positioned to play a role in the selection and appropriate use of medications by pregnant and lactating women. Such a role is consistent with the responsibilities embodied in the pharmaceutical care concept and with pharmacists' high level of accessibility to patients. However, the role of the pharmacist in providing counseling to this special patient population has not been well described. An extensive literature search on this subject revealed an absence of published data.
Similarly, little information has been published about medication use in pregnant women. According to Splinter et al., only five surveys were conducted in the United States between 1974 and 1988 to determine medication use during pregnancy, and only two of these included over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
In the study described in this article, we examined the practices of pharmacists advising women who were pregnant or breast-feeding. Because of the paucity of data noted above, we selected the content for the survey based on our own professional knowledge and experience in this practice area.
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