The AIFA report on the use of drugs in pregnancy has been presented
The first OsMed report "The use of drugs in pregnancy" was presented live on Youtube today from the headquarters of the Italian Medicines Agency
"I am very pleased to introduce this Report - comments the Director General of AIFA Magrini at the beginning - the latest newcomer in the historic series of OsMed reports, the AIFA Observatory on the use of medicines which has been the main tool for twenty years now. monitoring of consumption and expenditure of medicines on the national territory. The Report on the use of drugs in pregnancy - continues the DG - is special and marks a turning point in the use of data, because it interrogates and links databases of different kinds by exploiting a virtuous model of collaboration between institutions, working groups and researchers. An interaction that I hope will grow from this first successful experience, to favor the evolution of a standard model that, thanks to the integration and strengthening of national and regional databases, can allow for outcome studies thanks to cross-referenced and quality data " .
"The objectives of the Report - said Francesco Trotta, manager of the HTA and drug economics sector and of the Monitoring Office of pharmaceutical expenditure and relations with the AIFA Regions - are the monitoring and analysis of prescriptions in pregnancy and the variety of prescriptive practices across regions and in population subgroups. Thanks to the report, a network has been created between central institutions, regions, academies and clinics, an infrastructure that is now available to the National Health Service. The study also constitutes a wealth of information to be used in the area to modify inappropriate clinical practices ".
The data of the Report were presented and commented by Valeria Belleudi (Department of Epidemiology of the Lazio Region), Filomena Fortinguerra (AIFA), Renata Bortolus (Ministry of Health), Serena Donati (Higher Institute of Health), Anna Locatelli (University of Milano Bicocca ), Antonio Clavenna (IRCCS Mario Negri) and Antonio Addis (Department of Epidemiology of the Lazio Region). The interventions were moderated by Marina Davoli (Department of Epidemiology of the Lazio Region) and Anna Rosa Marra (manager of the AIFA Post-marketing Supervision Area).
The presentations, the link to review the event and the complete report are available on the AIFA Portal.
MAIN DATA OF THE REPORT (more details in the attached sheet)
- The drugs most prescribed in pregnancy belong to the therapeutic category of blood and hematopoietic organs, followed by antimicrobials for systemic use and drugs of the genitourinary system and sex hormones.
- The four most commonly used active ingredients are: folic acid (34,6%), progesterone (19%), ferrous sulphate (18,8%), amoxicillin / clavulanic acid (11,5%).
- The prescriptions tend to be in line with the choice of active ingredients compatible with pregnancy.
- The use of folic acid is still below the levels recommended by national and international guidelines.
- The drugs at greatest risk of inappropriateness are progestogens for the prevention of spontaneous abortion and antibiotics.
- Lombardy and Veneto show the lowest percentages of prescriptions in pregnancy in all quarters, and for all the Regions there is a growing prescribing trend with increasing maternal age.
- In women with multiple deliveries, folic acid, preparations based on iron and heparin, along with sex hormones and antimicrobials, are the first categories for prescribing frequency.
- Overall, foreign citizens have a lower prevalence of drug use than Italians, while the highest number of prescriptions concern women from the African, Indian and South American continents.