Abstract
BackgroundCommunity pharmacists are available to counsel women in early pregnancy, but no studies have assessed the feasibility of such a service.ObjectiveTo test the feasibility of a pharmacist consultation in early pregnancy and to inform the design of a definitive trial.SettingSix community pharmacies in Norway from Oct. to Dec. 2017.MethodWe evaluated recruitment approaches and an automatic data preprocessing system (ADPS) to enroll, assign participants, and distribute questionnaires. Women (≥18 years) in early pregnancy were eligible for inclusion. Participants were assigned to a pharmacist consultation (intervention group) or standard care (control group). The intervention aimed to address each woman’s concerns and needs regarding medications and ailments in pregnancy, and was documented on a standard form. The women’s acceptability of the intervention was measured by a questionnaire.Main outcome measuresAppropriate recruitment approaches, workflow of the ADPS, and women’s acceptability of the intervention.ResultsOf the 35 participants recruited, 19 were recruited through Facebook. The ADPS worked well. Treatment of nausea and vomiting (NVP) (10/11) and general information about medications (8/11) were frequently discussed during the consultations (n = 11). The women reported high satisfaction with the consultation. Having the option of telephone and follow-up consultations was important to the women.ConclusionIt is feasible to provide community pharmacist consultations in early pregnancy. In a definitive study, the consultations should focus on NVP and general medication use and further explore social media as a recruiting tool. Both in-pharmacy and telephone consultations should be offered to deliver the intervention.
Highlights
Up to 60–80% of pregnant women use at least one medication [1,2,3], and more than half have perceived needs for information about the safety and use of medications during pregnancy [4, 5]
Community pharmacists are available to counsel women in early pregnancy, but no studies have assessed the feasibility of such a service
We evaluated recruitment approaches and an automatic data preprocessing system (ADPS) to enroll, assign participants, and distribute questionnaires
Summary
Up to 60–80% of pregnant women use at least one medication [1,2,3], and more than half have perceived needs for information about the safety and use of medications during pregnancy [4, 5]. The patient-centered approach is a growing expectation in antenatal care [4], and pregnant women express that they want to be actively involved in choosing the course of treatment during pregnancy [11] They have stated that they do not receive adequate counseling from their healthcare providers [12] and subsequently seek health information from other sources, e.g. the internet [5, 13]. Discussing the benefits and risks associated with taking, not taking, stopping, or altering dosages of medications while pregnant has previously been described as vital to enabling pregnant women to make informed treatment decisions [11] Such counseling should be provided as soon as possible in pregnancy or ideally pre-conception, to optimize treatment from the very beginning of the pregnancy. Community pharmacists are available to counsel women in early pregnancy, but no studies have assessed the feasibility of such a service
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