A study of prescription of potentially teratogenic medications to the females of reproductive age group (14-45 years) in surendranagar.

ABSTRACT: Aim : The study was conducted to identify the potentially teratogenic medications most frequently prescribed to women of reproductive age group (14-45 years), the specialty of the physicians who prescribes such medications and estimation of contraceptive counseling prescribed to these females of reproductive age group exposed to potentially teratogenic drugs. Method: The data about prescriptions of potentially teratogenic medication and provision of contraceptive counseling was collected in a sample of 400 visits by women of reproductive age group to twenty enrolled doctors in Surendranagar district of Gujarat during August- September, 2006.It was analyzed by SPSS Version (11.5) software by calculating Means and Standard deviation for continuous variable and percentage for categorical variables. Result : This study demonstrated 23% (92 out of 400) of study subjects were prescribed potentially teratogenic drugs (group D and X). Antibiotics were highly prescribed (17 out of 30) among prescribed potentially teratogenic drugs, Surgeons and psychiatrist prescribed potentially teratogenic drugs more frequently than other specialty of doctors. 32 Out of 92 study subjects prescribed potentially teratogenic drugs were advised contraceptive counseling. Conclusion: Doctors’ awareness about risk associated with teratogenic drug (group D and X) and importance of contraceptive counseling advice seems low. Group-D drug is prescribed more frequently than group-X among studied prescription.