Breastfeeding and the Pharmacist's Role in Maternal Medication Management: Identifying Barriers and the Need for Continuing Education

Breastfeeding offers a multitude of benefits for infants, mothers, and society. Exclusive breastfeeding of infants is recommended for at least the first 6 months of life. Although transfer of drug into breastmilk can occur, most medications are safe to use during breastfeeding. Pharmacists, regarded as the most accessible health care professionals, recognize their role as medication specialists for breastfeeding women. Unfortunately, a lack of formal and continuing education on medication use during lactation often results in pharmacists providing the unnecessary recommendation to disrupt breastfeeding during medication use. In addition to lack of education, other barriers pharmacists experience in providing optimal patient care during lactation include difficulty identifying breastfeeding status and inconsistency in recommendations between scientific resources. Pharmacists must voice their need for additional continuing education and take action to close the knowledge gap and address barriers to providing care.