Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims data
AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to evaluate the utilisation of all prescribed drugs during pregnancy dispensed in outpatient care in Switzerland between 2015 and 2021. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive study using the Swiss Helsana claims database (2015-2021). We established a cohort of pregnancies...
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SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)
2024-08-01
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| Series: | Swiss Medical Weekly |
| Online Access: | https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/3616 |
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| author | Carole A. Marxer Sereina M. Graber Daniel Surbek Alice Panchaud Christoph R. Meier Julia Spoendlin |
| author_facet | Carole A. Marxer Sereina M. Graber Daniel Surbek Alice Panchaud Christoph R. Meier Julia Spoendlin |
| author_sort | Carole A. Marxer |
| collection | DOAJ |
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AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to evaluate the utilisation of all prescribed drugs during pregnancy dispensed in outpatient care in Switzerland between 2015 and 2021.
METHODS: We conducted a descriptive study using the Swiss Helsana claims database (2015-2021). We established a cohort of pregnancies by identifying deliveries and estimating the date of the last menstrual period. We analysed the drug burden during a 270-day pre-pregnancy period, during pregnancy (overall and by trimester), and during a 270-day postpartum period. Subsequently, we quantified 1) the median number of drug dispensations (total vs. unique drug claims); and 2) the prevalence of exposure to at least one dispensed drug and the number of dispensed drugs (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5); and 3) the 15 most frequently dispensed drugs were identified during each period, overall and stratified by maternal age.
RESULTS: Among 34,584 pregnant women (5.6% of all successful pregnancies in Switzerland), 87.5% claimed at least one drug (not including vitamins, supplements, and vaccines), and 33.3% claimed at least five drugs during pregnancy. During trimester 1 alone, 8.2% of women claimed at least five distinct drugs. The proportion of women who claimed prescribed drugs was lower pre-pregnancy (69.1%) and similar postpartum (85.6%) when compared to during pregnancy (87.5%). The most frequently claimed drugs during pregnancy were meaningfully different during pregnancy than before and after.
CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that 8 of 10 women in Switzerland are exposed to prescribed drugs during pregnancy. Most drugs dispensed during pregnancy are comparatively well investigated and are considered safe. However, the high drug burden in this vulnerable patient population underlines the importance of evidence on the benefit-risk profile of individual drugs taken during pregnancy.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-feb2425de9e643a0a5d9260dc1b269fa |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1424-3997 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Swiss Medical Weekly |
| spelling | doaj-art-feb2425de9e643a0a5d9260dc1b269fa2025-08-20T02:22:39ZengSMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)Swiss Medical Weekly1424-39972024-08-01154810.57187/s.3616Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims dataCarole A. Marxer0Sereina M. Graber1Daniel Surbek2Alice PanchaudChristoph R. MeierJulia SpoendlinUniversity Hospital Basel / University of BaselDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Insurance Group, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to evaluate the utilisation of all prescribed drugs during pregnancy dispensed in outpatient care in Switzerland between 2015 and 2021. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive study using the Swiss Helsana claims database (2015-2021). We established a cohort of pregnancies by identifying deliveries and estimating the date of the last menstrual period. We analysed the drug burden during a 270-day pre-pregnancy period, during pregnancy (overall and by trimester), and during a 270-day postpartum period. Subsequently, we quantified 1) the median number of drug dispensations (total vs. unique drug claims); and 2) the prevalence of exposure to at least one dispensed drug and the number of dispensed drugs (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5); and 3) the 15 most frequently dispensed drugs were identified during each period, overall and stratified by maternal age. RESULTS: Among 34,584 pregnant women (5.6% of all successful pregnancies in Switzerland), 87.5% claimed at least one drug (not including vitamins, supplements, and vaccines), and 33.3% claimed at least five drugs during pregnancy. During trimester 1 alone, 8.2% of women claimed at least five distinct drugs. The proportion of women who claimed prescribed drugs was lower pre-pregnancy (69.1%) and similar postpartum (85.6%) when compared to during pregnancy (87.5%). The most frequently claimed drugs during pregnancy were meaningfully different during pregnancy than before and after. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that 8 of 10 women in Switzerland are exposed to prescribed drugs during pregnancy. Most drugs dispensed during pregnancy are comparatively well investigated and are considered safe. However, the high drug burden in this vulnerable patient population underlines the importance of evidence on the benefit-risk profile of individual drugs taken during pregnancy. https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/3616 |
| spellingShingle | Carole A. Marxer Sereina M. Graber Daniel Surbek Alice Panchaud Christoph R. Meier Julia Spoendlin Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims data Swiss Medical Weekly |
| title | Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims data |
| title_full | Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims data |
| title_fullStr | Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims data |
| title_short | Dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in Switzerland: a retrospective analysis of Swiss healthcare claims data |
| title_sort | dispensed drugs during pregnancy in outpatient care between 2015 and 2021 in switzerland a retrospective analysis of swiss healthcare claims data |
| url | https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/3616 |
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