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Project #180:
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon Sodium Valproate prescribing

During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to medical cares was profoundly altered, availability of both GP and specialist appointments were impacted and telephone or video appointments were not immediately available. This disruption of normal healthcare processes may have impacted the prescription of medications, including those that should be carefully monitored.

Sodium Valproate (SV) is a prescription medication used to treat neurological conditions including epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and migraine headaches. SV is not recommended as a first intervention, and should only be used if other treatments fail. SV can cause severe birth defects if taken during pregnancy, as a result it is not recommended for patients who could become pregnant. Those that a are at risk are put on Prevent (a pregnancy prevention programme) that requires annual assessment from a doctor or nurse.

This project will investigate possible changes in the prescription of Sodium Valproate (SV) over the COVID pandemic period, including investigating the prescription of SV generally, and with a focus on people who can become pregnant (most likely to be defined as females within a range of ages). The investigation will use the historic prescription rates for SV to act as a comparator for the COVID pandemic period, and will aim to determine how different factors such as deprivation index, treatment history and referral to Prevent may influence alterations in SV prescribing during the pandemic.