Obstetric drug information service.

An obstetric drug information service in a 435-bed general hospital in Australia is described. The specialized service was established within a general drug information center after receiving a large percentage of calls on the use of drugs during pregnancy and lactation. The service decided to specialize in information on: (1) drugs excreted in breast milk, (2) drug effects on the fetus, (3) drug effects on the pregnant mother, and (4) drugs affecting sperm. An obstetrician is associated with the service to provide clinical judgments, assessments, and his expertise in the field. Monographs were prepared on 97 commonly prescribed drugs. The service provides oral replies and written replies that are checked by the director and deputy director of pharmaceutical services for their accuracy. Of the 1445 inquiries received during an 18-month period, 60% (863) were related to the use of drugs during pregnancy and lactation. The most frequent users of the service were physicians. Specific topics of the calls included inquiries on antibiotics (154 calls), psychotropic drugs (108), and analgesic and cold preparations (58). The center provided written replies for 51% of the calls. The specialized drug information center has received an increasing number of inquiries and positive feedback from its users.