Grant: Catalyst Grant: Post Market Drug Safety and Effectiveness

In 2002, our team obtained a Canada Innovation Foundation grant and created a linked mother-infant database containing information on prescription drugs and illnesses in mothers and infants in Saskatchewan (1980-2000). In 2008, we obtained a grant from Ontario's Drug Innovation Fund to update the linked mother-baby Saskatchewan data to 2007 and to expand the follow up to children up to 7 years of age. Our previous studies have demonstrated that uses of previously marketed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a group of antidepressants by mothers can cause adverse outcomes in the mothers and babies. The overall aim of this application is to further assess the safety of antidepressants use in pregnancy, including a comparison of the safety of different categories of antidepressants and an assessment of the safety of the newly marketed antidepressants, using the updated database from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Policy implications of this research includes (but is not limited to): 1) safety of prescription drug use in pregnancy, 2) labeling of prescription drug use in pregnancy: warnings, risks, and benefits, 3) public health strategy and knowledge translation for optimal prescribing practices in pregnancy. Although this project has to use the Saskatchewan database, as there is no similar database in other provinces in Canada, the study findings can be applied to all Canadians; we have similar universal health care, health care values and public health strategies, and similar matters related to drug regulatory/formulary and medical practice.