Crucial Role of Pharmacists in Determining Medication Safety in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Lack of information and misinformation frequently leds to physicians advising mothers to discontinue medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding1. In effect, mothers are forced to decide between continuing their medication for the good of their health or the safety of their newborns. The aim of this article is to illustrate the consequence of suboptimal health advice with regards to cessation, continuation or commencement of medications during pregnancy or breastfeeding. This article also endeavours to highlight the critical role that pharmacists play in providing advice to ensure the health of mother and child are equally taken into account. Overall, pharmacists can play a vital role in determining medication safety in pregnant and breastfeeding women and is becoming an emerging speciality5. Thus, concerning pharmacists’ involvement, numerous barriers such as identification of breastfeeding patients, variation in resource recommendations, time constraints, remuneration, and lack of education7-9 must be addressed to support the pharmacy profession.