Prescription drug use and potential teratogenicity risk among pregnant women attending maternal and child health clinic of Kemisse General Hospital, Northeast, Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate medications prescribed for pregnant women and their potential teratogenicity risk in Kemisse General Hospital. RESULT: A total of 263 medical records of pregnant women were reviewed, of which 234 pregnant women were prescribed with a total of 430 prescription drugs. The average numbers of drugs per pregnant women was found to be 1.84. Most pregnant women 166 (63.2%) were in the third trimester and more than half of them (51.3%) were multigravida. The maximum number of drugs were prescribed in the second trimester 162 (37.67%) followed by third trimester 143 (33.26%). Supplemental drugs were the most widely used medications 297 (69.07%) and followed by 82 (19.1%) drugs from category B; 54 (12.6%) drugs from category C; and the rest 7 (1.6%) drugs from category D. There was no any drug from category X. Moreover, approximately one third of the pregnant women encountered with drugs from category B, C and D. However, there were no FDA category C and D drugs prescribed in first trimester.