Abstract
Background: Despite adequate guidelines that support medication prescribing during pregnancy, primary health care physicians' practice in Saudi Arabia is still not assessed.
Objectives: to assess knowledge and practice of physicians towards medication prescription during pregnancy and to determine obstacles in prescribing medications.
Methods: Across-sectional study was done on of 168 PHC physicians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was distributed to physicians online, including questions about their knowledge about medication prescribing (categories), reading sources, and practice.
Results: 78.6% of PHC physicians faced obstacles in prescribing medication for pregnant women, where lack of time to read limited information about patient and treatment and pregnant women education level were the most common obstacles found. Amoxicillin (86.9%), Levothyroxine (75.6%), Methyldopa (73.8%), Calcium carbonate (71.4%), Nasal fluticasone (57.1%), and Penicillin G were the most commonly reported medications as being safe during pregnancy by participants (56.5%). Doxycycline (64.9%), methotrexate (63.7%), warfarin (54.2%), and statins were the most commonly reported unsafe medications. Participants aged 25-35 years had a significantly higher percentage of facing a lack of time to read as an obstacle in prescribing medication for pregnant women, whereas GPs had a significantly higher percentage of facing obstacles, such as the level of education of pregnant women, a lack of privacy in a PHC, and a lack of pregnancy education.
Conclusion: There is insufficient awareness and practice of PHC physicians regarding medication prescribing during pregnancy. It is necessary to raise their awareness about the FDA guidelines.