Community pharmacists’ services for women during pregnancy and breast feeding in Kuwait: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to identify the services provided by community pharmacists in Kuwait and their views regarding self-care in pregnancy and lactation. In addition, it determined the pharmacists’ recommendations for treatment of pregnancy-related and breast feeding-related ailments. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. SETTING: Community pharmacies in Kuwait. PARTICIPANTS: 207 pharmacies were randomly selected from the Ministry of Health database. One registered pharmacist was approached from each pharmacy. One hundred and ninety-two (92.8%) pharmacists agreed to participate and completed a self-administered questionnaire. OUTCOMES: The proportions of pharmacists offering particular advice for health conditions in pregnancy and lactation, pharmacists’ recommendations for common and specific ailments during pregnancy and breast feeding, and pharmacists’ views about self-care in pregnancy and breast feeding. RESULTS: The top services provided to pregnant and lactating women were recommending vitamins and food supplements (89.8%) and contraception advice (83.4%), respectively. More than half of participants indicated that they would recommend medications for headache, constipation, cough, runny nose, sore throat, nausea/vomiting, indigestion, sore or cracked nipple and insufficient milk. Diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, insomnia, varicose vein, swelling of the feet and legs, vaginal itching, back pain, fever, mastitis and engorgement were frequently referred to the physician. Recommendations on medication use were occasionally inappropriate in terms of unneeded drug therapy, off-label use and safety. In relation to offering advice and solving medication and health problems of pregnant and lactating women, more than half of pharmacists indicated that they have sufficient knowledge (61.5%; 50.5%) and confidence (58.3%; 53.1%), respectively. Most of the respondents (88.5%) agreed that a continuing education programme on this topic would be of value for their practice. CONCLUSION: The present findings show that respondents had different recommendations for treatment of pregnancy-related and lactation-related ailments; and also highlight the need for interventions, including continuing professional development and revision of the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum.