All our training and guidance to help decision making about the use of medicines in breastfeeding

Training resources for breastfeeding

Why breastfeeding is important and how pharmacy can help

4 December 2020Pharmacy professionals can help ensure breastfeeding can continue whilst medicines are used. We guide on how to undertake this role.

Questions to ask when giving advice on medicines and breastfeeding

4 December 2020Information should be gathered on both the mother and the infant. Questions are provided to help determine clinical details

Information resources that give advice on medicines and breastfeeding

4 December 2020SPS and other resources can help pharmacy professionals give advice on use of medicines during breastfeeding

Advising on medicines during breastfeeding

4 December 2020Most medicines can be used throughout breastfeeding, in some cases further risk-reducing methods may be required

Defining the risks of medicines in breastfeeding

21 October 2020This article describes the features that support the risk classifications we assign to the use of medicines in breastfeeding

Advice and recommendations

Our recommendations seek to help you make a decision in an area where evidence is often sparse. Where possible, we base our advice on published literature. Where this is lacking we consider pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles; side-effect profiles; clinical use; expert advice and unpublished data. We advise based on UK practice and interpretation, and may therefore sometimes differ from other sources of information.

Our recommendations apply to full-term and healthy infants. If the infant was born prematurely, is unwell, or the mother is taking multiple medicines, contact us for further advice.

In addition, we’re also currently modernising our material in this area to make it easier to use and understand. Feel free to contact us for further advice if you need help in the interim.

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Get in touch

Breastfeeding Medicines Advice service

The specialist UKDILAS service from SPS provides evidence-based information and advice to healthcare-professionals on the use of medicines during breastfeeding