Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he has allocated to (a) GPs and (b) technicians to support the prescribing and monitoring of Sodium Valproate to women of child-bearing potential.

In 2019/20 a Quality and Outcomes Framework Quality Improvement (QI) domain on safer prescribing ran in general practice. It aimed to improve engagement with women of child-bearing age and pregnancy prevention for these patients. This QI module was worth around £44 million in 2019/20 nationally.

As part of a Pharmacy Quality Scheme community pharmacies were asked to complete a valproate safety audit. Pharmacists were asked to check the records of girls and women of childbearing potential for whom a prescription is dispensed for valproate, to ensure they have been advised on the risks of taking valproate in line with all the requirements as detailed in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Drug Safety Update 2018.

The valproate audit was one of three parts of the Medicines Safety Audits domain and each part had to be delivered to earn the points available. The 25 points available were then worth £1843.5 per pharmacy who completed this domain.