10 Instructions Pregnant Women Should Follow for Safe and Effective Use of Medication

1. Check whether or not you are pregnant before taking medicines
Fertile women should check whether or not they could be pregnant and when they are going to have a baby, and consult with an expert at the point of medication.

2. Medication during pregnancy may affect the fetus
Pregnant women shall be careful when taking any medication, as medicines may adversely affect the fetus by crossing the placental barrier. In some cases, the pregnant woman herself may be adversely affected.

3. Medication guidelines for pregnant women may be different from the guidelines for non-pregnant adults
Pregnant women must always consider the possibility that a medicine may cross the placental barrier. Doses and changes in guidelines for medication should be considered, as medicines may affect pregnant women differently.

4. Extra care shall be taken in the use of medication from week 3 to week 8
Impacts of medicines on a fetus may vary according to the stage of pregnancy. Extra care shall be taken during the period from week 3 to week 8 (the 1st of the three stages of pregnancy) as the organs of the fetus are developed in this stage.

5. Medicines are categorized according to their impact on pregnancy
The FDA has divided medicines into five categories, ranging from Category A, which is the safest medicine for a fetus, to Category X with the highest risks, enabling pregnant women to accurately predict potential harm.

6. Before medication during pregnancy, a pregnant woman should consult with a medical expert
Pregnant women must consult with a medical expert to determine whether medication is necessary, and seek alternative treatments if possible.

7. Pregnant women with certain diseases must take medicines during pregnancy
The health of the fetus may be threatened if the mother has epilepsy, high blood pressure or diabetes. Pregnant women with those conditions must take the appropriate dose of their required medication after consultation with a medical expert.

8. For medication during pregnancy, only medicines in wide use should be used
During pregnancy, it is recommended to only use medicines for treatment that are in wide use. Avoid using newly-developed medicines that have not yet been proven.

9. During pregnancy, you should take only the minimum dose of medication required to achieve the purpose of treatment
Pregnant women taking medicines should take the minimum dose, for the shortest period of time, to achieve the purpose of treatment. The medicines that are considered to be safest after monitoring the side effects shall be taken with sufficient explanations, and no minor changes shall be neglected during medication.

10. The health of both the expecting mother and the fetus must be considered when administering medication during pregnancy
The fact that medicines may cause malformation of the fetus and risk the health of pregnant women must always be considered.