AUTHOR=Belleudi Valeria , Fortinguerra Filomena , Poggi Francesca R. , Perna Serena , Bortolus Renata , Donati Serena , Clavenna Antonio , Locatelli Anna , Davoli Marina , Addis Antonio , Trotta Francesco , MoM-Net group , Trotta Francesco , Fortinguerra Filomena , Perna Serena , Belleudi Valeria , Romana Poggi Francesca , Addis Antonio , Davoli Marina , Donati Serena , D’Aloja Paola , Da Cas Roberto , Bortolus Renata , Rezza Giovanni , Clavenna Antonio , Locatelli Anna , Mazzone Arianna , Schiatti Simone , Zanforlini Martina , Fortino Ida , Manea Silvia , Salmaso Laura , Scroccaro Giovanna , Deambrosis Paola , Puccini Aurora , Solfrini Valentina , MariaMarata Anna , Gini Rosa , Attanasio Francesco , De Giorgi Marcello , Franchini David , Rossi Mariangela , Lorella Lombardozzi , Stella Paolo , Bavaro Vito , Montanaro Vito , Ledda Stefano , Carta Paolo , Serra Enrico , Garau Donatella TITLE=The Italian Network for Monitoring Medication Use During Pregnancy (MoM-Net): Experience and Perspectives JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.699062 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.699062 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=

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.