Sharing Meds Dangerous for Women

(August 26, 2008) - A news study has found that many women share medications with other women. The concern is that this sharing can lead to problems, including birth defects. (Read about "Medicine Safety" "Birth Defects") A survey of nearly 7,500 women of reproductive age found that sharing medications is common practice among more than one-third of this population of women, much higher than older groups.

A study designed to describe patterns of prescription medication borrowing and sharing among various groups of adults revealed that women of reproductive age (18-44 years) are more likely to report this practice (36.5 percent) than are other aged women (19.5 percent). In the overall survey of more than 25,000 women and men, 28.8 percent of women and 26.5 percent of men reported ever borrowing or sharing prescription medications.

The researchers report that allergy medications (43.8 percent) and pain medications (42.6 percent) were the types of drugs most commonly borrowed or shared by reproductive-aged women. (Read about "Allergies")

The authors emphasize some of the risks involved in using another person's prescription drugs, including unanticipated side effects, complications of incorrect use, drug-drug interactions, antibiotic resistance and risk of addiction. (Read about "Addiction") Of great importance for reproductive-aged women is the risk of effects on a developing embryo or fetus if the women were to become pregnant while taking the medication. (Read about "Healthy Pregnancy")

"This study confirms what many health care providers suspect," says Susan G. Kornstein, MD. "It is clear that patients need to be counseled about the potential risks of sharing and borrowing medications, especially if they are women of reproductive age."

The study appears online ahead of print in Journal of Women's Health.