In reply: As a practising physician, Morton clearly understands the issues faced by prescribers and consumers regarding drug categorisation in pregnancy.1 Currently, the Therapeutic Goods Administration provides no references for the data on which it bases its drug categorisations for pregnancy. It is therefore left to the conscientious prescriber to try to find the data (not always easy or obvious) and then attempt to interpret it in a clinically relevant way. The more narrative approach suggested by Morton is an improvement but would still need clinical context and interpretation for optimal use.
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- 1. Kennedy DS. A to X: the problem of categorisation of drugs in pregnancy — an Australian perspective. Med J Aust 2011; 195: 572-574. <MJA full text>
- 2. Kweder SL. Drugs and biologics in pregnancy and breastfeeding: FDA in the 21st century. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol 2008; 82: 605-609.
- 3. US Food and Drug Administration. List of pregnancy exposure registries. http://www.fda.gov/ScienceResearch/SpecialTopics/WomensHealthResearch/ucm134848.htm (accessed Dec 2011).
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