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. 2009 Jul 17;9:119. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-9-119

Table 4.

Approach to female patients who use antidepressants.

General practitioners
(N = 130) %
Pharmacists
(N = 144) %
Significant difference
Always Most of the time Some-times Never Always Most of the time Some-times Never between GPs and pharmacists?
Advise to a patient who uses antidepressants and states being pregnant
Refer to a psychiatrist 6 15 50 29 7 9 39 45 *
Advise to terminate pregnancy 0 0 9 91 0 1 3 96 ns
Step down and stop antidepressant 13 52 27 7 4 24 52 19 **
Continue antidepressants at mild symptoms 1 8 52 40 1 13 47 40 ns
Continue antidepressants at severe symptoms 14 36 36 13 19 35 26 20 ns
Change the used antidepressant for another 0 2 64 34 1 7 75 17 **
Lower the dose 0 16 40 44 1 10 57 32 **
Psychotherapy instead of antidepressants 3 9 33 55 3 20 53 24 **
Advise to a patient who uses antidepressants and is planning to become pregnant
Refer to a psychiatrist 5 13 52 30 11 14 34 41 **
Advise to postpone pregnancy 2 13 63 23 2 3 28 67 **
Step down and stop antidepressant 10 52 32 6 6 30 49 15 **
Continue antidepressants at mild symptoms 1 9 45 45 2 7 54 37 ns
Continue antidepressants at severe symptoms 11 39 33 17 13 38 30 19 ns
Change the used antidepressant for another 0 4 62 34 2 8 71 20 *
Lower the dose 0 10 47 44 1 8 52 38 ns
Psychotherapy instead of antidepressants 6 6 44 44 5 25 55 15 **

Presented are the answers to the question what would be your advice to a patient who uses antidepressants and states that she is pregnant or is planning to become pregnant? * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, ns = not significant