Abstract
BackgroundStudies on medication-related problems (MRPs) among pregnant women are scarce, despite the potential consequences for both mother and child. This study aimed to describe the prevalence, clinical significance, and risk factors for MRPs among hospitalized pregnant or postpartum women at Jimma University Medical Centre (JUMC) in Ethiopia.MethodsA prospective follow-up and clinical audit of 1117 hospitalized pregnant or postpartum women in the maternity and gynaecology wards at JUMC was carried out between February and June 2017. Patients were followed throughout their stay in the hospital to assess the presence and development of MRPs. Pre-tested data extraction form and an interview-guided structured questionnaire were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used to describe MRPs. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with MRPs.ResultsOne or more MRPs occurred among 323 (28.9%) study participants, mostly in relation to lack of iron supplementation. A total of 278 (70.6%) of all MRPs were considered to be of moderate to high clinical significance. When excluding MRPs due to iron from the analysis, chronic disease (adjusted OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.02, 3.58), medication use prior to admission (adjusted OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.24, 4.56), nulliparity (adjusted OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.22, 3.24) and multiparity (adjusted OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.17, 3.12) were significantly associated with experiencing an MRP.ConclusionsNearly 3 out of 10 hospitalized pregnant women at JUMC had one or more MRPs. The need for additional iron therapy was by far the most common type of MRP. Improved adherence to guidelines on iron supplementation are required. Multidisciplinary approaches including physicians, nurses, anesthesia professionals and clinical pharmacists in the maternity and gynaecology wards could possibly prevent MRPs and promote patient safety for women and children.
Highlights
Studies on medication-related problems (MRPs) among pregnant women are scarce, despite the potential consequences for both mother and child
Study setting A facility-based prospective observational study was conducted in the maternity and gynaecology wards of Jimma University Medical Centre (JUMC), a tertiary level public teaching hospital located in Jimma City in southwest Ethiopia, 350 km from the capital city of Addis Ababa
Concomitant use of phytomedicines and conventional medicines was assessed by identifying women who used both during pregnancy for the same or different illnesses
Summary
Studies on medication-related problems (MRPs) among pregnant women are scarce, despite the potential consequences for both mother and child. This study aimed to describe the prevalence, clinical significance, and risk factors for MRPs among hospitalized pregnant or postpartum women at Jimma University Medical Centre (JUMC) in Ethiopia. The therapeutic groups most commonly associated with MRPs were medications for the alimentary tract and metabolism, mainly aperients (18%) and vitamins (13%), followed by drugs for the nervous system, mainly analgesics (25%) and antidepressants (4%) [3]. In addition to these two studies, a few studies have evaluated medication errors in obstetric and maternity wards [7,8,9]
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