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Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
https://ppj.org.ly/article/69f63643a953957ad8768fd3

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Original article Pharmacy practice

Awareness and beliefs of pregnant women about medications

Rehab A. Shaibani, Basma K. Alghamoudi, Asmahan I. Abukhdir, Amin M. Shaibani, Halima M. Omar, Saja A. Almahmoudi

Mediterr J Pharm Pharm Sci, Ahead of Print, 2026
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Abstract

Medication use during pregnancy is concerning, especially regarding the safety of the developing fetus. The awareness and the beliefs of pregnant women about medications are strongly associated with medication adherence. This study aims to investigate pregnant women's awareness and beliefs regarding medications in Zawia City, Libya. A cross-sectional study including 209 Libyan pregnant women was conducted from January to July 2024 using a self-designed questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. About 75.0% of the pregnant women agreed that medications should be avoided during pregnancy. Most pregnant women did not believe that all medications are unsafe during pregnancy (80.4%). More than two-thirds of the participants are aware of the most critical stage of pregnancy. 75.0% of pregnant women lack awareness of the main drugs to be avoided during pregnancy. The primary informative source about medications was the gynecologists. Libyan pregnant women exhibit a positive belief toward medications. However, they lack the awareness of the most important medications that should not be consumed during pregnancy.

Keywords

Awareness, belief, Libya, medication use, pregnancy, Zawia City

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Submitted date:
02/19/2026

Reviewed date:
04/20/2026

Accepted date:
05/01/2026

Publication date:
05/02/2026

69f63643a953957ad8768fd3 medjpps Articles
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