Pregnant women report being denied medications to treat severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy or hyperemesis gravidarum – findings from an Australian online survey
Han‐Fang Hsiao, Alicia Thomas, Caitlin Kay‐Smith, Luke E. Grzeskowiak
Abstract
We conducted an online survey of 249 Australian women who currently or previously experienced severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) or hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and examined their experiences in being denied medications during pregnancy. One in four women reported being denied medications for NVP/HG, which most commonly involved doxylamine and encounters with community pharmacists. Women's experiences reflected that lack of awareness of guidelines and unfavourable risk-benefit assessments appeared to be key barriers to facilitating medication access. Approaches towards identifying and effectively addressing barriers to the provision of effective treatments for severe NVP and HG are urgently needed.