The Italian Network for Monitoring Medication Use During Pregnancy (MoM-Net): Experience and Perspectives

• Main Authors: Valeria Belleudi, Filomena Fortinguerra, Francesca R. Poggi, Serena Perna, Renata Bortolus, Serena Donati, Antonio Clavenna, Anna Locatelli, Marina Davoli, Antonio Addis, Francesco Trotta, MoM-Net group, Francesca Romana Poggi, Paola D’Aloja, Roberto Da Cas, Giovanni Rezza, Arianna Mazzone, Simone Schiatti, Martina Zanforlini, Ida Fortino, Silvia Manea, Laura Salmaso, Giovanna Scroccaro, Paola Deambrosis, Aurora Puccini, Valentina Solfrini, Anna MariaMarata, Rosa Gini, Francesco Attanasio, Marcello De Giorgi, David Franchini, Mariangela Rossi, Lombardozzi Lorella, Paolo Stella, Vito Bavaro, Vito Montanaro, Stefano Ledda, Paolo Carta, Enrico Serra, Donatella Garau
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01
• Series: Frontiers in Pharmacology
• Subjects: medication use; pregnancy; network; monitoring; appropriateness
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.699062/full

There is an acute need for research to acquire high-quality information on the use of medicines in pregnancy, both in terms of appropriateness and safety. For this purpose, the Italian Medicines Agency established a Network for Monitoring Medication use in pregnancy (MoM-Net) through the conduction of population-based studies using administrative data available at regional level. This paper aimed to describe the experiences and challenges within the network. MoM-Net currently involves eight regions and several experts from public and academic institutions. The first study conducted aimed to identify drug use before, during and after pregnancy investigating specific therapeutic categories, analysing regional variability and monitoring drug use in specific subpopulations (i.e. foreign women/multiple pregnancies). Aggregated demographic, clinical, and prescription data were analysed using a distributed network approach based on common data model. The study population included all women delivering during 2016–2018 in the participating regions (n = 449,012), and corresponding to 59% of deliveries in Italy. Seventy-three per cent of the cohort had at least one drug prescription during pregnancy, compared to 57% before and 59% after pregnancy. In general, a good adherence to guidelines for pregnant women was found although some drug categories at risk of inappropriateness, such as progestins and antibiotics, were prescribed. A strong variability in the use of drugs among regions and in specific subpopulations was observed. The MoM-Net represents a valuable surveillance system on the use of medicines in pregnancy, available to monitor drug categories at high risk of inappropriateness and to investigate health needs in specific regions or subpopulations.