CARE Northwest
For counseling and advice on reproductive exposures call 1-888-616-8484
Core Function: Information Development and Dissemination
CARE Northwest is a regional teratogen information service that was established in 1994. The goals of CARE Northwest are (1) to provide telephone consultation to health care professionals and their patients to help them assess the risks associated with maternal exposures to potential teratogens, including in-clinic counseling for women who have serious teratogenic risks or extraordinary anxiety regarding less serious exposures; (2) to provide specialized training for UW students currently enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy program who have a demonstrated interest in counseling pregnant women who have concerns regarding exposures to potential teratogenic medications; and (3) to collaborate with other teratogen information services throughout North America on research projects.
While pharmacists frequently receive inquiries from customers regarding the effects of medications on the developing embryo or fetus, the vast majority have received little, if any, education regarding the principles of teratology. By offering rotations to Doctor of Pharmacy students, CARE Northwest hopes to bridge the gap in knowledge by providing a 30-day training opportunity in clinical teratology.
CARE Northwest receives approximately 800 calls each year from health care professionals and the general public regarding exposures to drugs and other environmental agents during pregnancy and lactation. About 40% of the inquiries relate to risks associated with exposures to drugs or chemicals through the breast milk to the nursing infant.
This project has partnered with the UW Community Outreach and Education Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health and the UW Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, an occupational and environmental medicine consultation service at the University of Washington funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The objective of these partnerships is to provide community outreach and education in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Through this collaboration, teratogen and breastfeeding inquiries directed to the Department of Environmental Health, the UW Occupational and Environmental Medicine program at Harborview Medical Center, and the Washington State Poison Center are referred to CARE Northwest.
CARE Northwest collaborates in research projects with other teratogen information services that are members of the Organization of Teratology Information Services. Examples of recent research goals include (1) obtaining pregnancy outcome data on 100 Arava™-exposed women and (2) finding out why women continue to get pregnant while taking isotretinoin despite the pregnancy prevention program that was implemented by the manufacturer.
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TERIS:
Teratogen Information Service
CHDD
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