Drug use reasons in pregnancy and factors affecting

This study was performed as a descriptive research with 750 pregnant women referred to Trabzon Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Farabi Hospital obstetrics outpatient clinic of between 20 October 2020 and 15 April 2021 to determine the reasons for drug use and the factors affecting it. The data were collected using the "Descriptive Information Form", "Drugs Used in Pregnancy and Causes Determination Form" and "Rational Drug Use Scale". In the statistical analysis of the data; number, percentage, median, minimum, maximum values and Logistic Regression Analysis were calculated. It was determined that 93.7% of the pregnant women used drugs during pregnancy and 91.6% of the drugs used were prescription, 2.1% were over-the-counter, and 63.1% (28.3% one drug, 30.5% two drugs, 26% three drugs, 6.8% four drugs) used more than one drug. The most commonly used drugs by pregnant women were 86% vitamins (folic acid, vitamin D, multivitamin), 33% anticoagulant (ecopirin, oxapar), and 30.2% iron drugs (vegaferon, maltofer, ferrosanol). It was determined that 76.4% of the pregnant women used drugs for vitamin / vitamin deficiency, 30.4% for anticoagulants, 23.3% for iron deficiency / anemia. However, it was determined that 68.4% of the pregnant women used the drugs rationally. Furthermore, in the regression analysis performed, having a high school or higher education, having health insurance, not smoking, being less than 1 km away from the home and the health institution, applying to the first family health center in case of illness, not having spare drugs at home, being informed about drugs by the doctor, going to pregnancy follow-ups, and thinking that the lack of time that doctors spare for pregnant women did not affect the number of drugs prescribed were the factors affecting rational drug use (p<0.05). As a result, it has been determined that the majority of pregnant women use prescription drugs, know the reasons for drug use, multiple factors affect drug use, and use drugs rationally. Pregnant women should be informed about the essential drugs to be used in pregnancy follow-ups, the effects of prescribed drugs, the points to be considered while using drugs and the situations that require admission to the hospital as a result of drug use.