References
Prescribing sodium valproate

Welcome to this October issue of the Journal of Prescribing Practice.
As non-medical or medical prescribers, you will be used to keeping up-to-date with any changes to medications or advice and guidance on prescribing. Many of you will already know of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidance on prescribing sodium valproate for woman and girls of childbearing potential from 2018; but more recently, we have learned that the risk of foetal valproate syndrome can come not just from the mother's use of the drug but that of the father, too. From January 2024, the BNF stated in the ‘important information’ section of the drug monograph, the new guidance for prescribers to support regulatory measures in men and women under 55 years of age (Joint Formulary Committee, 2024).
A recent BBC news article has brought this advice back into media attention (BBC News, 2024). It states, ‘Men taking sodium valproate are being warned to use contraception while on the medicine, because of “a potential small increased risk” of neurodevelopmental disorders in their future children’. The advice also pertains to sperm donation while on the drug and for 3 months after stopping. The MHRA goes on to say that the drug is not definitively the cause of foetal harm, but that this was an important safety issue that warranted action on a precautionary basis.
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