OBJECTIVES : This study seeks to identify the prevalence of prescription medication use within the last 30-days among pregnant US women. Past research on the subject tended to focus on older data, lack nationally representative samples, or focus on particular classes of medication use. This may have led to both the substantial underestimation of the prevalence of medication use during pregnancy in the US and overlooked the most common classes of medication used by this special population.

METHODS : Four cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used in the completion of this study. Women aged 20 – 44 with complete demographic, household, and prescription use records were included in analysis. The sample was identified by selecting the records of women who tested positive for pregnancy via urine test at the time of their NHANES data collection. Prevalence of prescription use was calculated and characteristics associated with having a prescription within the last 30-days while pregnant were identified via univariate logistic regression.

RESULTS : Prescription medication use in the last 30-days was reported by 36.10% of pregnant women. Central nervous system (CNS) agents (7.94%), hormone modifiers (6.14%), and metabolic agents (5.42%) were the most common drug categories represented in the sample participant's prescriptions. Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.14- 0.89) and household poverty index (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.04-1.65) were both associated with a pregnant woman’s prescription medication use status. Age and highest level of education obtained were not.

CONCLUSIONS : Recent prescription medication use among US pregnant women is common.