Drug use in pregnancy and breast feeding: the role of the pharmacist

The purpose of the present study was to examine the rate of pharmacist counseling of women who use drugs during pregnancy and/or breast feeding. The data were collected by personal interview (taken by a physician specially trained in teratology) with 204 mothers at discharge from the maternity ward (2–3 days after delivery) and by telephone or personal visit with 66 hospital and private pharmacists. Of the 204 women questioned, only 18 (8.8%) were counseled by the pharmacist and always at their initiative and 16 women (7.8%) had read the information leaflet accompanying the drug. Six (9%) of the pharmacists interviewed provided information to the pregnant or breast feeding women. Therefore, very few pharmacists counsel their pregnant and breast feeding patients. Pharmacists must be made aware of the active nature of their duty to provide appropriate drug information to this group of patients. Strategies are needed to increase pharmacists’ compliance in this area.