Clinical pharmacy and obstetrics

Despite there being 3.79 million births in the United States in 2018,1 the pharmacy profession has historically had minimal representation in the field of obstetrics. Pharmacists’ presence is minimal in all areas of obstetric clinical pharmacy, including drug therapy management, clinical research, and teaching.2,3 While the obstetric population may be viewed as healthy young women, the reality is that women are entering into pregnancy older and with more chronic diseases than ever before.4,5 Maternal mortality has been on the rise in the United States since the implementation of the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System in 1987.5 The practice site described is a 448-bed, nonprofit, community hospital and is home to the largest birthing center in Wisconsin, performing nearly 5,000 deliveries in 2018. The birthing center contains 10 triage rooms, 17 labor and delivery rooms, 3 obstetrical operating rooms, 10 antepartum rooms, and 48 postpartum rooms. The hospital is partnered with a state university academic hospital to provide all birthing center services for both organizations. A variety of practice groups provide services at the birthing center, including midwifery, private practice, and family practice groups as well as university obstetrics and gynecology and maternal and fetal medicine groups. The birthing center has held the Baby-Friendly designation (Baby-Friendly USA, Inc., Albany, NY) since 2006.