Pregnancy and medicines: essential precautions

What are we talking about?

During pregnancy, the passage of certain substances to the fetus requires case-by-case assessment. Health authorities recall that one should neither ban everything on principle nor allow everything by habit.

This sheet covers pregnancy only. Breastfeeding is the subject of a separate sheet.

What you may observe

Report a known or possible pregnancy before any medicine intake, including those available without prescription, plants and supplements.

Indicate the stage of pregnancy, treatments already ongoing and any known allergy.

• Known or possible pregnancy
• Treatments already prescribed
• Over-the-counter products, plants, supplements

Good practices

Ask for advice before buying or taking a medicine during pregnancy.

Keep your follow-up prescriptions and inform every professional you see of your pregnancy.

If a chronic treatment is already prescribed, do not stop it abruptly without appropriate advice: the risk from untreated disease may be greater.

What to avoid

Avoid relying only on the experience of another pregnancy or on non-professional advice.

Avoid abruptly interrupting a prescribed chronic treatment without talking to the doctor.

Medicines: what you need to know

Some painkillers, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics or plant-based products are discouraged at certain periods. Only a personalised check can decide.

This sheet does not list authorised or forbidden molecules.

When to ask the pharmacist?

The pharmacist can check a product’s compatibility with pregnancy, propose an alternative when one exists within their field of competence, and refer to the doctor if necessary.

When to seek medical care?

Seek care promptly for bleeding, intense abdominal pain, unusual headache with visual disturbances, reduced fetal movements, or any worrying symptom.

For a chronic treatment, plan follow-up with your doctor rather than adjusting doses alone.