For health professionals

Evidence and clinical resources in women’s health

Short summaries of important research, product monographs and practical support for prescribers, pharmacists, nurses and midwives. Free, with no registration.

This page is intended for health professionals. It supports, and does not replace, clinical judgement.

Choose a resource below to open it.

Research digestKey studies, in plain languageClinical guidesPractical guides by conditionClinical calculatorsEight quick clinical checksProduct monographsEvery Draxer product, two pagesSamples and rep visitsRequest them for your facility

Research digest

What the research says

Important studies in women’s and reproductive health, summarised by the Draxer Clinical Advisory Department with a note on what each means for practice. Every summary links to the original paper.

PregnancyRandomised controlled trial · 2026A higher weekly vitamin D3 dose in pregnancy brought far more mothers and newborns to healthy vitamin D levels330 pregnant women in Lebanon with low vitamin D (25(OH)D 10 to 30 ng/mL) joined before 18 weeks. They took either 20,000 IU of vitamin D3…Read summary PCOS/PMOSUmbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised trials · 2026Inositol improved ovulation, live birth and insulin resistance in PCOS/PMOSThis review brought together 13 meta-analyses of randomised trials. Compared with placebo or folic acid alone, inositol more than doubled the chance of ovulation (RR 2.75,…Read summary Male fertilitySystematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials · 2026CoQ10 improved sperm count and motility and was linked to more pregnancies in men with unexplained infertilityNine trials with 781 men with unexplained (idiopathic) infertility were pooled. Compared with control, CoQ10 raised sperm concentration by an average of 10.22 million/mL and total…Read summary PCOS/PMOSInternational consensus · 2026PCOS has a new name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)After a 14-year process with more than 22,000 survey responses and 56 patient and professional organisations, an international consensus has renamed polycystic ovary syndrome as polyendocrine…Read summary Nutrients and supplementsClinical trial · 2019The 40:1 inositol ratio restored ovulation best in PCOS/PMOSWomen with PCOS took one of seven inositol formulations (2 g twice daily for three months): D-chiro-inositol alone, or myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol in ratios from 1:3.5…Read summary Fertility and conceptionRandomised controlled trial · 2014Letrozole leads to more live births than clomiphene in PCOS/PMOSIn 750 women with PCOS who were trying to conceive, letrozole led to more live births than clomiphene: 27.5% against 19.1% over up to five treatment…Read summary Male fertilityRandomised controlled trial · 2009Coenzyme Q10 raised semen CoQ10 and ubiquinol and improved sperm motilityIn 60 men with unexplained infertility and poor sperm motility, coenzyme Q10 200 mg a day for six months significantly raised levels of CoQ10 and ubiquinol,…Read summary Periods and hormonesRandomised controlled trial · 2001Vitex (chasteberry) reduced PMS symptoms in a placebo-controlled trialIn 170 women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), a daily Vitex agnus-castus fruit extract (Ze 440, 20 mg) taken for three cycles improved irritability, mood changes, anger,…Read summary PregnancyRandomised controlled trial · 2017Low-dose aspirin cuts preterm pre-eclampsia in high-risk pregnanciesIn the ASPRE trial, 1,620 women found to be at high risk by first-trimester screening took aspirin 150 mg each night or placebo from 11 to…Read summary MenopauseRandomised controlled trial · 2023Fezolinetant: a non-hormonal option for menopausal hot flushesIn SKYLIGHT 1, 527 women with moderate to severe hot flushes took fezolinetant 30 mg, 45 mg or placebo daily. By week 12, both doses reduced…Read summary Sleep and stressRandomised controlled trial · 2012Magnesium improved sleep and melatonin in older adults with insomniaIn 46 older adults with insomnia, magnesium 500 mg a day for eight weeks improved insomnia severity scores, sleep time, sleep efficiency and the time taken…Read summary

Clinical guides

Practical guides for everyday practice

Short, practical guides by condition: what to look for, what to check, what to recommend and when to refer.

PCOS/PMOSClinical guidePCOS/PMOS: a guide for the pharmacy and the clinicHow to spot, support and refer women with PCOS/PMOS in the pharmacy, and how to diagnose, screen and treat in the clinic.Read the guide Fertility and conceptionClinical guidePreconception care: a guide for the pharmacy and the clinicWhat to start, stop and check in the months before a couple tries for a baby: counselling in the pharmacy, assessment in the clinic.Read the guide Male fertilityClinical guideMale fertility: a guide for the pharmacy and the clinicMale factors play a part in about half of couples who struggle to conceive. What the pharmacy can do, and how the clinic assesses and refers.Read the guide

Clinical calculators

Clinical calculators

Choose a calculator to open it. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere, and results support, and do not replace, clinical judgement.

HOMA-IRInsulin resistance from fasting glucose and insulin

Uses a fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin taken at the same time.

HOMA-IR = glucose (mmol/L) × insulin (µIU/mL) ÷ 22.5. There is no single agreed cut-off; values above about 2.5 are often taken to suggest insulin resistance, but thresholds vary between populations and laboratories. Not valid if the samples were not fasting or if the patient takes insulin.

PCOS/PMOS diagnosis checkerRotterdam criteria, adults and adolescents

Based on the Rotterdam criteria as applied in the 2023 international guideline.

Is she more than 8 years past her first period?

Within 8 years of the first period, ultrasound and AMH are not used for diagnosis.

Irregular cycles or no ovulation?

From 3 years after the first period: cycles shorter than 21 or longer than 35 days, or fewer than 8 a year. Between 1 and 3 years: shorter than 21 or longer than 45 days. Any cycle longer than 90 days counts from 1 year. Also no period by age 15, or more than 3 years after breast development began.

Signs of high androgens?

Clinical (hirsutism, acne, scalp hair loss) or biochemical (raised total or free testosterone, or free androgen index; androstenedione and DHEAS if testosterone is normal).

Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound, or raised AMH?

Adults only. Not needed if the two criteria above are both present.

Other causes excluded?

For example thyroid disease (TSH), high prolactin, non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (17-OH progesterone) and, where suspected, other causes of high androgens.

TyG indexInsulin resistance from fasting triglycerides and glucose, no insulin test needed

A low-cost alternative to HOMA-IR, using two routine fasting tests.

TyG = ln[triglycerides (mg/dL) × glucose (mg/dL) ÷ 2]. There is no single agreed cut-off; values above about 8.5 are often taken to suggest insulin resistance, but thresholds vary between populations.

Free androgen indexBiochemical high androgens from total testosterone and SHBG

Use a morning sample. Total testosterone and SHBG should come from the same blood test.

FAI = total testosterone (nmol/L) ÷ SHBG (nmol/L) × 100. In women, a value above about 4.5% is commonly taken as raised, but use your laboratory’s reference range. Not reliable while taking the combined pill.

Hirsutism score (modified Ferriman-Gallwey)Excess hair growth across nine body areas

Score each area from 0 (no terminal hair) to 4 (frank virile growth).

The 2023 international PCOS guideline takes a total of 4 to 6 or more as hirsutism, depending on ethnicity. Shaving, waxing or other hair removal lowers the score, so ask about recent treatment.

Folic acid dose checkerStandard 400 mcg or higher 5 mg before and in early pregnancy

Tick any that apply to her (or, for a neural tube defect, to either partner).

Pre-eclampsia aspirin checkerWho should be offered low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks

High-risk factors

Moderate-risk factors

Based on NICE guideline NG133. Aspirin should be prescribed and started from 12 weeks.

Waist-to-height ratioA quick check of central weight and metabolic risk

Measure the waist midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, after breathing out.

Keep the waist to less than half the height. Based on NICE guidance (2022) for adults.

Product monographs

Every Draxer product on two pages

Composition and dose, evidence with references, interactions, pregnancy and breastfeeding, when not to recommend, and a patient counselling checklist. Edition 2, November 2026. Tap a product to preview it before you download.

Download all (zip)

Supplements, A to Z

Berberine HClCollagenGynoEssenceMagnesium Glycinate with ZincTrimionUbiquinolUbiquinoneVitamin D3 + K2VitaniomVitex

Draxer Teas

Chamomile TeaGreen TeaSpearmint Tea

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