Determining antenatal medicine exposures in South African women: a comparison of three methods of ascertainment

Abstract

In the absence of clinical trials, data on the safety of medicine exposures in pregnancy are dependent on observational studies conducted after the agent has been licensed for use. This requires an accurate history of antenatal medicine use to determine potential risks. Medication use is commonly determined by self-report, clinician records, and electronic pharmacy data; different data sources may be more informative for different types of medication and resources may differ by setting. We compared three methods to determine antenatal medicine use (self-report, clinician records and electronic pharmacy dispensing records [EDR]) in women attending antenatal care at a primary care facility in Cape Town, South Africa in a setting with high HIV prevalence.

Publication
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Pregnancy Antenatal medicine-use Comparison of data sources Low- and Middle-income countries Pharmacovigilance