Article Text
Editorial
Prescribing in pregnancy - stop stopping and start planning
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The legacy of thalidomide use by pregnant women persists beyond the harm done to their children and subsequent complex pharmacological politics and legal arguments.1 The realisation that a drug taken during pregnancy could harm the offspring was frightening for prescribers and women alike, and as a result, women frequently stop taking long-term medication when they learn that they are pregnant. Such decisions (which may result from a discussion with a healthcare professional or worried family and friends) are rarely planned or involve a balanced discussion of the available evidence of drug safety. Women often express sentiments of ‘not wanting to take any risks for the baby’ and ‘not minding feeling unwell’. …