SYDNEY, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A critical shortage of medicines used in obstetrics is putting the health of pregnant women in Australia at risk, experts warned on Monday, calling for an urgent fix to the problem.

They said in an editorial that the shortages of the drugs labetalol, immediate-release nifedipine and misoprostol, the uses of which include treating high blood pressure and preventing early labor, highlight the vulnerability of pregnant women to medicine supply disruptions.

A review found that the supply and access issues were caused by several converging problems, including manufacturing disruptions.

"We are in a perilous situation where pregnant women are vulnerable to the whims of market forces," Stefan Kane, lead author and director of Maternity Services at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, said in a media release.

"The lack of incentive for pharmaceutical companies to register and maintain the supply of older, off-patent drugs used in pregnancy is putting lives at risk," he said.

To address their concerns, the authors urged the federal government to establish a publicly-funded entity dedicated to registering, importing and manufacturing critical medications for use during pregnancy.

Additionally, they said that more pregnant women should be included in clinical trials of new medicines.

Amanda Henry, co-author from Sydney's George Institute for Global Health and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), said that pregnant women are significantly underrepresented in clinical trials.

"The exclusion of pregnant women and women of reproductive age from clinical trials not only puts them at risk but also denies them the benefits of medical advancements that other populations enjoy," she said.

In one example, the authors said that there are over 50 approved medications to treat high blood pressure in the general population in Australia, but only six for treating the condition in pregnancy, all of which are over 30 years old.

The RANZCOG said it supported the recommendations. Enditem

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