Medication use during pregnancy and drug information resources utilized by pregnant women in Jordan

This study was designed to investigate medication use among Jordanian pregnant women, and to evaluate their level of awareness about safety of medication use during pregnancy.

Pregnant women who attended the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics at the largest hospital in North of Jordan area were interviewed using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about demographics, medication use during pregnancy, and resources of information regarding medication use in pregnancy.

Two hundred and forty pregnant women agreed to participate in the study and were interviewed with a response rate of 94.5%. Folic acid (93.8%) was the most frequently used medication during pregnancy followed by multivitamins (57.9%), iron supplements (55.8%), and paracetamol (41.7%). The majority (82.1%) considered first trimester to be the most critical period in which drugs ingestion can cause harm to the fetus. The great majority relied on physicians (90.4%) to be their main source of information followed by pharmacists (15.4%).

Folic acid was the most frequently used medication during pregnancy and the majority of participants took medications based on physician's recommendations. However, there were also cases of self-medication.