Objective.

To evaluate a strategy to monitor the use of drugs in pregnant women in a Colombian municipality.

Methods.

Drug use study, descriptive type, cross-sectional, prospective collection of information, aimed at identifying medications consumed by pregnant women without a medical prescription. Using a simple random sample with 95% CI and 5% MS, a sample of 155 maternal samples was obtained.

Results.

A data collection instrument was designed, validated and applied to 169 pregnant women, of whom 152 met four pregnancy controls. The average age was 24.5 years (Min. 13 and Max. 40), live in free union, and only have secondary studies. 42% had their first pregnancy, and 30% had 3 or more pregnancies. The average number of children was 1.0, but 13 of them had more than 3 children. Pregnant women attended 4 controls on average. The self-medication rate was 21%. The pregnant women consumed 11 products without prescription; 9 synthetic medicines, and 2 medicinal plants. The frequency of consumption of products classified as risk B was 29%, risk C was 33%, and for categories D and X was 38%. Two medicinal plants (Equisetum giganteum L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides L. Poit) with potential risk for pregnancy were identified.

Conclusions.

The instrument helps to identify characteristics whose control can contribute to safe motherhood, and makes it possible to highlight the use of products with a potential risk for pregnancy.

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