Prescription of Kampo Formulations for Pre-natal and Post-partum Women in Japan: Data From an Administrative Health Database

Abstract

Introduction: Traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicines are often prescribed for women in Japan before, during, and after pregnancy. However, detailed information on the actual frequency of use and safety of Kampo preparations during pregnancy is lacking.Aim: To investigate the frequency of prescription of Kampo medicines for pregnant women in Japan.Methods: Information on Kampo medicines prescribed during outpatient care and hospitalization of selected mothers from January 2005 to August 2016 were extracted from the Japan Medical Data Center (Tokyo, Japan), which is a large claims database.Results: Of the 33,941 subscribers identified from the database, 16,294 (48%) received at least one prescription of a Kampo medicine. Kakkonto was the formula most prescribed during the study period, followed by shoseiryuto and tokishakuyakusan. In the 180 days before pregnancy, the most prescribed medicine was tokishakuyakusan, followed by kakkonto and shoseiryuto. Shoseiryuto, tokishakuyakusan, and kakkonnto were the formulae most prescribed during pregnancy. The most prescribed medicines during the 180 days postpartum were kakkonto, shoseiryuto, and saireito.Conclusions: Information in the Japanese insurance system shows that Kampo medicines are often prescribed during pregnancy. Most of these prescriptions are generally used for the treatment of common cold. Tokishakuyakusan in particular is usually used in the treatment of various symptoms of pregnancy. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between the use of Kampo medicines during pregnancy and adverse events in infants in Japan.

A multidimensional physical scale is a useful screening test for mild depression associated with childcare in Japanese child-rearing women

“…Kampo medicine is often used for patients in the field of obstetrics and gynecology ( 26 – 28 ). The theory of Qi, Blood, and Fluid is used to evaluate the physical status and to select the Kampo formula against disease ( 33 ).…”

“…Traditional Japanese herbal medicine (Kampo medicine) has been widely applied in the treatment of women in the perinatal period ( 26 – 28 ). In Kampo medicine, various symptoms are clustered according to the original concepts of Kampo medicine.…”

Safety of Japanese herbal Kampo medicines for the treatment of depression during pregnancy

“…In this population, approximately 54% were women 10 . A previous database study showed that approximately 48% of pregnant women had received at least one prescription for Japanese herbal Kampo medicine from a hospital during their pregnancy 11 . The occurrence of adverse effects is considered to be relatively rare with the use of Japanese herbal Kampo medicines 12–14 .…”

“…10 A previous database study showed that approximately 48% of pregnant women had received at least one prescription for Japanese herbal Kampo medicine from a hospital during their pregnancy. 11 The occurrence of adverse effects is considered to be relatively rare with the use of Japanese herbal Kampo medicines. [12][13][14] A previous study recommended Japanese herbal Kampo preparations, such as Hange-koboku-to, Koso-san, Nyoshin-san, Yokukansan, Yokukansan-kachinpi-hange, Saiko-keishikankyo-to, Keishi-karyukotu-borei-to, and Kanbaku-taisou-to, for the management of depression during pregnancy.…”

No association between major congenital malformations and exposure to Kampo medicines containing rhubarb rhizome: A Japanese database study

“…Previously, we investigated the frequency of Kampo medicine prescriptions for pregnant women from extensive Japanese health insurance claims databases ( Suzuki et al, 2021 ). We found that KRR was prescribed to approximately 1.2% of pregnant women.…”