Drug Use Evaluation of Iron with Folic Acid During Pregnancy at Alem Ketema Enat Hospital, North shoa, Amhara, Ethiopia

Abstract

Drug Use Evaluation (DUE) is the ongoing, systematic and criteria-based program of medicine evaluations that will ensure appropriate medicines use. Correct dosage of Iron with Folic Acid (IFA) is recommended by WHO to prevent Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy. Even if it affects populations, pregnant mothers are prone to develop anemia. Iron deficiency anemia contributes for 95% of anemia during pregnancy reflecting the need for iron to pregnant women. Foliate supplementation is encouraged before conception but still has significant protective effect for birth weight.  In addition to the mother, anemia has a significant impact to the fetus. Anemia has contributed 20% of maternal deaths in Africa. The national guideline of Ethiopia recommends a minimum of 6 months supply of IFA during pregnancy. A cross-sectional criteria based study design was conducted on 348 Antenatal care (ANC) attendants retrospectively from October to June 2016 to evaluate the extent of correct dosage of IFA at Alem Ketema Enat hospital. This data was analyzed using MS excel 2010 and the result shows only 19 % of ANC attendants took the correct IFA dosage as recommended by WHO and the national protocol. Therefore the hospital should design quality improvement project on the correct supplementation of IFA to pregnant women.

Keywords: Drug use evaluation, Iron with Folic Acid, Pregnancy, WHO Drug Use Evaluation Criteria, North Shoa, Ethiopia