Episode 10: Domperidone for Low Milk Supply: Is it Safe?

“Domperidone is a drug that is approved to treat stomach problems and that’s all that it is approved for in Canada…Physicians can prescribe it for off-label uses, and because Domperidone causes lactation as a side effect, it has been picked up and used as a way of trying to increase milk supply” -Janet Currie and Suzanne Campbell

Domperidone is a dopamine blocker that is being increasingly prescribed off-label in British Columbia and other provinces to treat low milk supply. In this week’s episode of Women’s Health Interrupted, we are joined by Dr. Janet Currie and Dr. Suzanne Hetzel Campbell to address the effects of domperidone for breast feeding mothers. They will also be discussing criticisms, research and areas of development around it.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Should Domperidone be Reconsidered as a Treatment for Low Breastmilk Supply?
• What patient, clinician, policy and socio-cultural factors are associated with the rise in off-label prescribing of domperidone in British Columbia when used to treat low milk supply?
• Health Canada advisory on domperidone
• Exploring the Prescribing Process of Domperidone for Low Milk Supply
• Off-Label Use of Drugs

Guest Biography

Domperidone is a dopamine blocker that is being increasingly prescribed off-label in British Columbia and other provinces to treat low milk supply. Dr. Janet Currie and Dr. Suzanne Hetzel Campbell will be joining us in this episode to address the effects of domperidone for breast feeding mothers. They will also be discussing criticisms, research and areas of development around it.

Dr. Janet Currie is a social worker and was the founder and director of Focus Consultants, in Victoria BC, where she managed over 100 research and government policy planning projects related to women’s health, family violence prevention, and prescription drug use and safety. Her work on prescription drug safety led to her identifying concerns about the safety, effectiveness and transparency of off-label prescribing, a prevalent practice and, although allowable, is not regulated by Health Canada. She pursued this topic in her doctoral studies at UBC by using a case study of the off-label use of domperidone when it is used to treat low milk supply.

Dr. Suzanne Hetzel Campbell is a professor at UBC School of Nursing and is a global educator who uses technology and experiential learning pedagogy to educate perinatal health practitioners in the area of lactation. She has been a certified lactation consultant since 2002 and has been advancing education, research, and practice in lactation in her work. Dr. Campbell’s clinical work in the area of lactation with under-served populations has led her team to develop open education resources including award-winning books on lactation for interdisciplinary core curriculums.