University Hospital Rennes Reports Findings in Information Technology (Prescribing Trends for Valproate Among Pregnant Women: A Cross-sectional Study in 2013 and 2016 Using the French Health Insurance Database): Information Technology

2022 APR 19 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- New research on Information Technology is the subject of a report. According to news reporting out of Rennes, France, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “We aimed to describe the prescribing trends for sodium valproate (VPA) and alternative drugs during and around pregnancy, comparing 2016 (after the recommendations on valproate for women were reinforced by the EMA) to 2013 (before the recommendations). Using the French National Health Insurance Database, a cross-sectional study was carried out in 2013 and in 2016, including women who became pregnant and had at least one reimbursement claim for VPA in the two years prior to pregnancy or during pregnancy.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from University Hospital Rennes, “Exposure to VPA and its alternatives was then measured for each quarter, in the two years before pregnancy (pre-conception), during pregnancy and in the year after pregnancy (post-partum). Among pregnant women with epilepsy (N=2,607 pregnancies), the proportion exposed to VPA during pregnancy decreased from 26.4% to 9.3% between 2013 and 2016, alongside an increase in lamotrigine and levetiracetam use. Among pregnant women with bipolar disorder (N=4,278 pregnancies), the proportion of women exposed during pregnancy decreased from 3.7% in 2013 to 1.9% in 2016, without any switch to alternative drugs. In both populations, less than one third had consulted a specialist before pregnancy. As recommended by the EMA, a change in practice over the period 2013-2016 was observed, with fewer women exposed to VPA during pregnancy and before pregnancy.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “However, in 2016, a large number of women were exposed to VPA in the first trimester of pregnancy (N=471), which could suggest that the timing of pregnancy should be better planned whenever possible.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Prescribing Trends for Valproate Among Pregnant Women: A Cross-sectional Study in 2013 and 2016 Using the French Health Insurance Database. Neurology, 2022. Neurology can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins - www.lww.com; Neurology - neurology.org)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Adeline Degremont, Pharmaco-vigilance, Pharmaco-epidemiology and Drug Information Centre, Dept. of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Rennes, Rennes, France. Additional authors for this research include Sandrine Kerbrat, Frederic Balusson, Annie Pierre Jonville-Bera, Virginie Ringa, David Travers, Helene Tillaut, Emmanuelle Leray, Emmanuel Oger, Arnaud Birben and Elisabeth Polard.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000200260. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal Neurology is: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.

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