Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase awareness of fetal valproate spectrum disorder among health care professionals.

The valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme is supported by educational materials for healthcare professionals and patients which describe the neurodevelopmental disorders and major congenital malformations associated with the use of valproate in pregnancy. These are circulated to healthcare professionals annually, most recently in December 2021.

Additionally, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has raised awareness among healthcare professionals through updates to the valproate Summary of Product Characteristics, patient information leaflets and educational materials. The risks associated with valproate use in pregnancy have been communicated in articles in the MHRA’s bulletin and letters through the NHS Central Alerting System. This is supported by messages from professional bodies and reinforced through clinical guidelines and improved alerts on general practitioner prescribing systems.