Utilization of over the counter medication among pregnant women; a cross-sectional study conducted at Isra University Hospital,Hyderabad

Objective: to determine the frequency of use of over-the-counter medication among pregnant women,types of medicines,source of information and reason to opts for self-medication. methods: the descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at isra university hospital,hyderabad,pakistan,from april 14 to october 14,2014,and comprised pregnant women who were interviewed face to face. data was collected on a proforma comprising demographic data,practice of using over-the-counter medications before and during pregnancy,type of medicines,illnesses,knowledge about the medicines,source of recommendation and reason for practicing it. data was analysed on spss 16. results: the mean age of 351 patients in the study was 26.19±4.82 years (range: 18-45 years).the mean gestational agewas 26.28±10.42. overall,223(63.5%) patientswere using over-the-counter drugs before pregnancy; 128(36.5%) had used them in previous pregnancy; and 133(37.9%) were using them during the current pregnancy. most common medication used was acetaminophen 58(43.6%),headache was the most common illness 80(60.2%). a total of 103(77.4%) had no knowledge about the medicines. conclusion: a significant number of pregnantwomen indulged in the practice of using over-the-counter medication. © 2016,pakistan medical association. all rights reserved.