Sodium Valproate: Prescriptions

(asked on 29th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to identify all women of childbearing age in receipt of prescriptions for sodium valproate.


Answered by
Nadine Dorries Portrait
Nadine Dorries
This question was answered on 12th October 2020

In April 2018, the valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) was implemented and the four Chief Medical Officers in the United Kingdom asked general practitioners to identify all relevant women and girls on valproate in their practice, check they are on effective contraception as appropriate, and refer them for specialist review annually. Specialist prescribers were asked to review treatment of women and girls on valproate and ensure that an annual risk acknowledgement form is signed by the patient and prescriber. Key stakeholders are working together to drive forward compliance with the PPP, better embed the PPP into routine clinical care and ensure women with epilepsy and bipolar disorder receive the healthcare they require.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is also working on developing a registry, the main aims of which would be to identify girls and women of childbearing potential prescribed valproate, monitor compliance with the current regulatory requirements, and to identify and monitor outcomes in any children born to women on valproate.

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