Drug Prescriptions among Italian and Immigrant Pregnant Women Resident in Italy: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study

Paola D’Aloja, Roberto Da Cas, Valeria Belleudi, Filomena Fortinguerra, Francesca Romana Poggi, Serena Perna, Francesco Trotta, Serena Donati and MoM-Net Group
Additional contact information
Paola D’Aloja: National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), 00161 Rome, Italy
Roberto Da Cas: National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), 00161 Rome, Italy
Valeria Belleudi: Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, 00145 Rome, Italy
Filomena Fortinguerra: HTA & Pharmaceutical Economy Division, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), 00187 Rome, Italy
Francesca Romana Poggi: Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, 00145 Rome, Italy
Serena Perna: HTA & Pharmaceutical Economy Division, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), 00187 Rome, Italy
Francesco Trotta: HTA & Pharmaceutical Economy Division, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), 00187 Rome, Italy
Serena Donati: National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), 00161 Rome, Italy
MoM-Net Group: Membership of the MoM-Net Group is provided in the Acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: Ensuring drug safety for pregnant women through prescription drug monitoring is essential. The aim of this study was to describe the prescription pattern of medicines among pregnant immigrant women from countries with high migratory pressure (HMPCs) compared to pregnant Italian women. The prevalence of drug prescriptions among the two study populations was analysed through record linkage procedures applied to the administrative databases of eight Italian regions, from 2016 to 2018. The overall prevalence of drug prescription was calculated considering all women who received at least one prescription during the study period. Immigrants had a lower prevalence of drug prescriptions before (51.0% vs. 58.6%) and after pregnancy (55.1% vs. 60. 3%). Conversely, during pregnancy, they obtained a slightly higher number of prescriptions (74.9% vs. 72.8%). The most prescribed class of drugs was the blood and haematopoietic organs category (category ATC B) (56.4% vs. 45.9%, immigrants compared to Italians), followed by antimicrobials (31.3% vs. 33.7%). Most prescriptions were appropriate, while folic acid administration 3 months before conception was low for both study groups (3.9% immigrants and 6.2% Italians). Progesterone seemingly was prescribed against early pregnancy loss, more frequently among Italians (16.5% vs. 8.1% immigrants). Few inappropriate medications were prescribed among antihypertensives, statins and anti-inflammatory drugs in both study groups.

Keywords: pregnant women; drug prescription; prevalence; immigrants; pharmacoepidemiology; inappropriate prescribing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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