TGA warns against pregabalin use during pregnancy
The watchdog is urging doctors only to prescribe the drug to pregnant women 'if the benefit outweighs the risk to the fetus'.
The TGA has urged pregnant women to avoid pregabalin after a study linked the drug to a higher risk of major congenital malformations.
The regulator declared on Wednesday that pregabalin should only be prescribed during pregnancy “if the benefit to the patient clearly outweighs the potential risk to the fetus”.
Women of childbearing age who used the anti-epileptic for neuropathic pain or as an adjunctive therapy for partial seizures should use effective contraception, it added.
“The patient should understand the benefits and risks … and be aware of alternatives, and be part of the decision-making process,” the new advice said.
