Hull & East Riding Prescribing Committee
PRESCRIBING GUIDELINE: Commonly Prescribed Drugs in Pregnancy
For further information including full details of contraindications, cautions, drug interactions and adverse effects always check with
BNF www.bnf.org.uk or SPC (www.medicines.org.uk).
Indication
Drug
Dose
Duration
Evidence base
Allergy/pruritis
Analgesia
Chlorphenamine
Paracetamol
Codeine phosphate
Hyoscine
Butylbromide
Ferrous iron
Folic acid
4mg 4-6 hrly
1g QDS
30mg-60mg QDS
10-20mg QDS
prn
Prn
Prn
Prn
http://www.uktis.org/docs/chlorphenamine.pdf
www.bnf.org.uk
www.bnf.org.uk
http://www.uktis.org/docs/HYOSCINE.PDF
As per BNF
5mg OD
Review postpartum
4 months & review
Hydroxocobalamin
Inhaled beta-2
agonist
Inhaled
corticosteroid
Short courses oral
prednisolone
Ursodeoxycholic
acid
Menadiol sodium
phosphate
Topical emollients
Ispaghula husk
Lactulose
As per BNF
As per BNF
Review post partum
Prn
www.bnf.org.uk
www.bnf.org.uk
(for prevention of NTD see section below)
http://www.uktis.org/docs/Vitamin%20B12.pdf
www.bnf.org.uk
As per BNF
Review postpartum
As per BNF
Prn
250-500mg BD
Review postpartum
Anaemia
Asthma
Cholestasis
Constipation
10mg OD
(if steatorrhoea present)
Apply prn for pruritis
1 sachet BD
15ml BD
Commonly Prescribed Drugs in Pregnancy
http://www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcogcorp/GTG43obstetriccholestasis.pdf
HEY Guideline on Obstetric Cholestasis
Prn
Prn
Prn
Approved HERPC: May 2014, Review: May 2017
www.bnf.org.uk
Page 1 of 3
Indication
Drug
Dose
Duration
Evidence base
Diabetes
Metformin
Insulin
As per BNF dose range,
adjusted as per specialist
advice
Review postpartum
GORD
Anatcids / alginates
Ranitidine
Omeprazole
Promethazine
Cyclizine
Prochlorperazine
As per BNF
150mg BD
10-20mg OD
25mg BD
50mg TDS
5mg TDS
Prn
Review postpartum
http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/diabetes-inpregnancy/diabetes-in-pregnancy-overview
HEY guideline on Management of Pre-existing
Diabetes in Pregnancy
http://cks.nice.org.uk/dyspepsia-pregnancyassociated#!management
Labetalol
Nifedipine m/r
100mg-200mg BD-QDS
10-40mg BD or
20-90mg OD
250mg-1g BD-TDS
Review 2 weeks postpartum
As per BNF
As per BNF
Review postpartum
As per BNF
As per BNF
As per BNF
400mg TDS (Bd for some
indications)
50mg QDS or
m/r 100mg BD
200mg BD
As per BNF
As per BNF
As per BNF
Hyperemesis
Hypertension
Methyldopa
Hypothyroidism
Infection
-
UTI
Levothyroxine
Penicillins
(including coamoxiclav)
Cephalosporins
Erythromycin
Metronidazole
Nitrofurantoin
(avoid at term)
Trimethoprim (2nd
and 3rd trimester)
Commonly Prescribed Drugs in Pregnancy
1 week then review
7 days
7 days
Approved HERPC: May 2014, Review: May 2017
http://cks.nice.org.uk/nauseavomiting-inpregnancy#specialityTab
HEY guideline on Management of Severe Nausea
& Vomiting in Pregnancy
http://publications.nice.org.uk/hypertension-inpregnancy-cg107
www.bnf.org.uk
HEY Guideline Hyeprtension and Pre-eclampsia
GP Guidance on Hypertension
GP standard letter for hypertension
www.bnf.org
http://www.hey.nhs.uk/herpc/pctAntibioticGuidelin
es.pdf
www.bnf.org.uk
http://www.hey.nhs.uk/herpc/pctAntibioticGuidelin
es.pdf
Amoxicillin also recommended (if sensitive).
Cefalexin recommended for resistant organisms.
Page 2 of 3
Indication
Drug
Dose
Duration
Evidence base
-
Clotrimazole
pessary
Miconazole
intravaginal cream
Nystatin Oral
Suspension
Folic acid:
Low risk
High risk
100mg ON
6 nights
5g BD
7 days
www.bnf.org.uk
http://www.hey.nhs.uk/herpc/pctAntibioticGuidelin
es.pdf
1ml QDS
7-10 days
400 micrograms OD
5mg OD
Until end of first trimester
www.bnf.org.uk
Aspirin
75mg OD
From 12 weeks until
delivery
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG107
www.bnf.org.uk
100 units/kg BD
During pregnancy
HEY Guideline Hyeprtension and Pre-eclampsia
http://www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcogcorp/GTG37aReducingRiskThrombosis.pdf
200 units/kg OD
(dose rounded to nearest
500 units)
Postnatal until end of
course or change back to
warfarin
50-90kg: 5000 units BD or
75% of treatment dose
listed above
6 weeks postpartum or until
changed back to warfarin
5000 units OD
6 weeks postpartum
Vaginal
candidiasis
-
Oral
candidiasis
Neural tube
defects,
prevention of
Pre-eclampsia
- Moderate to
high risk
VTE treatment
Dalteparin
VTE Prophylaxis
in pregnancy
Dalteparin
- Very high
risk
-
High risk
VTE prophylaxis
postpartum
- High or
intermediate
risk
Dalteparin
(Weight at 36 weeks)
<50kg: 2500 units OD
50-90kg: 5000 units OD
91-130kg: 7500 units OD
131-170kg:10000units OD
> 170 kg: 75 units/kg/day
Commonly Prescribed Drugs in Pregnancy
HEY Guideline on Thromboprophylaxis in
Pregnancy
High risk –
6 weeks postpartum
Intermediate risk – 1 week
postpartum
Approved HERPC: May 2014, Review: May 2017
Page 3 of 3

ECLIPSE Flyer