Self-medication of the pregnant woman

In the 18th century Furetière a member of the Académie Française distinguished between situations where one medicated oneself (self-medication) and those where one medicated oneself (with a prescription) (Baumelou et al. 2006). Today self-medication is the act of treating oneself without a medical consultation and with drugs delivered without a prior medical prescription. Self-medication drugs are subject to a marketing authorization (MA) but are not included in the lists of poisonous substances (I II narcotics) so a prescription is not necessary. Self-medication is a widespread phenomenon in France since more than seven out of 10 French people resort to it (AFIPA 2013). However this behavior is not without risk: misuse (abuse dosage errors...) loss of chance (delayed medical care...) overdose interactions adverse effects and dependence. It is therefore very important that patients who resort to self-medication seek information from health professionals i.e. the doctor or the pharmacist.