Lolkje T. W. de Jong-van den Berg PhD

Publications (2)5.06 Total impact

• Article: Prescribing of sulfasalazine, azathioprine and methotrexate round pregnancy—a descriptive study

  Fokaline Vroom Msc, Eric N. van Roon PhD, Paul B. van den Berg Pharm D, Jacobus R.B.J. Brouwers PhD, Lolkje T.W. de Jong-van den Berg PhD
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  ABSTRACT: PurposeContinuation or discontinuation of drugs during pregnancy in chronic diseases is an issue of concern. Information on prescribing of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) during pregnancy is scarce. In this study, we report prescribing patterns round pregnancy of sulfasalazine (SSZ), azathioprine (AZA), methotrexate (MTX) and co-medications among women to whom one of these DMARDs were prescribed before pregnancy.Methods The pregnancy-interaction database (IADB.nl, 1994–2004), containing pharmacy dispensing data from Northern- Netherlands, was used. Women to whom SSZ (N = 13), AZA (N = 10) or MTX (N = 6) was prescribed before their first pregnancy were identified and described in detail.ResultsAZA and SSZ are continued during pregnancy by 60% and 38% of the women, respectively, MTX was stopped before pregnancy. Among women receiving SSZ (N = 13) as their initial DMARD, anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic drugs (69%) and analgesics (45%) were the most commonly prescribed co-medications. Among women receiving AZA (N = 8) as their initial DMARD, corticosteroids for systemic use (100%) and intestinal anti-inflammatory agents (88%) were the most commonly prescribed co-medications. All women receiving intestinal anti-inflammatory drugs before pregnancy continued this during pregnancy, in contrast to other co-medications which were mainly discontinued.Conclusions Our study showed that DMARDs and co-medication are received before, during and after pregnancy, although no specific prescription patterns were found. Administrative databases, such as the pregnancy-IADB.nl, are useful in describing drug-prescribing patterns for better understanding of drug prescribing around pregnancy in daily practice. Based on these data, we conclude that prescribing of DMARDs and related co-medication is based on the individual patient. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 12/2007; 17(1):52 - 61. · 2.53 Impact Factor
• Article: The potential of the European network of congenital anomaly registers (EUROCAT) for drug safety surveillance: a descriptive study

  Willemijn M. Meijer PharmD, Martina C. Cornel PhD, Helen Dolk PhD, Hermien E. K. de Walle PhD, Nicola C. Armstrong PhD, Lolkje T. W. de Jong-van den Berg PhD
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  ABSTRACT: Background European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) is a network of population-based congenital anomaly registries in Europe surveying more than 1 million births per year, or 25% of the births in the European Union. This paper describes the potential of the EUROCAT collaboration for pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety surveillance.Methods The 34 full members and 6 associate members of the EUROCAT network were sent a questionnaire about their data sources on drug exposure and on drug coding. Available data on drug exposure during the first trimester available in the central EUROCAT database for the years 1996–2000 was summarised for 15 out of 25 responding full members.ResultsOf the 40 registries, 29 returned questionnaires (25 full and 4 associate members). Four of these registries do not collect data on maternal drug use. Of the full members, 15 registries use the EUROCAT drug code, 4 use the international ATC drug code, 3 registries use another coding system and 7 use a combination of these coding systems. Obstetric records are the most frequently used sources of drug information for the registries, followed by interviews with the mother. Only one registry uses pharmacy data. Percentages of cases with drug exposure (excluding vitamins/minerals) varied from 4.4% to 26.0% among different registries. The categories of drugs recorded varied widely between registries.Conclusions Practices vary widely between registries regarding recording drug exposure information. EUROCAT has the potential to be an effective collaborative framework to contribute to post-marketing drug surveillance in relation to teratogenic effects, but work is needed to implement ATC drug coding more widely, and to diversify the sources of information used to determine drug exposure in each registry. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 08/2006; 15(9):675 - 682. · 2.53 Impact Factor