Many women who take prescription drugs that can cause birth defects aren t that vigilant about using birth control, according to a new study. After analyzing a large database of prescription drug orders, Medco Research Institute scientists found that an alarming 40 percent of reproductive-age women concurrently using an oral contraceptive and a Category X drug a medication with known teratogenic, or fetal malformation effects are not taking the contraceptive regularly and are risking pregnancy. Even more surprising, researchers found that women who take medications known to cause birth defects such as retinoids, statins, and some sedatives and sleeping aids account for 6 percent of U.S. pregnancies.
Though initially taken aback at the blithe indifference that women who receive potentially teratogenic medications have toward maintaining regimented birth control, ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross also doesn t see a reason why reproductive-aged women should not be prescribed certain Category X drugs. These women should still have the option of taking a retinoid such as Accutane to treat acne as long as they are made fully aware of the possible risk to the fetus should they get pregnant. For most patients, if you alert them to the serious consequences, they ll be more apt to listen and follow-through.
Lead study author Amy Steinkellner of the Medco Women s Health Therapeutic Resource Center emphasizes the importance of ensuring that women take birth control regularly. [T]hey may not understand that to be effective, oral contraceptives must be taken on a nearly perfect, consistent basis.
