Marisol Touraine received the Association for Helping Parents of Children suffering from Anti-Convulsant Syndrome. She announced measures for the victims of depakine.
L’General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS) submitted a few days ago its report on Depakine (sodium valproate), indicated in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. In all, 450 children are said to have developed birth defects due to exposure in utero to this teratogenic drug. And the rapporteurs did not hesitate to point out the responsibility of the health authorities, who were too slow to admit the risks associated with its prescription in women of childbearing age.
Faced with multiple failures, Marisol Touraine decided to react on Monday. In one communicated, the Minister of Health indicates that she received this morning the president of the Association for Helping Parents of Children suffering from Anti-Convulsant Syndrome (APESAC). The Minister first expressed to him “her support and solidarity” in the face of the ordeal that the parents are enduring. But above all, she told him that new measures would be taken “without delay”.
Improving physician practices
Among them, we note the objective of the public authorities to improve the information of women of childbearing age on the effects of sodium valproate. How? ‘Or’ What ? “By creating a new explicit pictogram indicating a risk in the event of pregnancy, in addition to the written information now visible on the labels of the boxes of the specialties concerned”, writes the minister.
To avoid the accidents of the past, Marisol Touraine also wants to influence the practices of doctors, by informing them better. Thus, the government will insert specific information in the prescription and dispensing assistance software, and amplify the information actions undertaken by the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) aimed at health professionals ( letters, newsletters, memo sheets, etc.)
Compensation under consideration
And for families at risk, the Minister wishes to set up a suitable channel for the diagnosis and care of children “by mobilizing the eight reference centers specializing in developmental anomalies and malformation syndromes, and by ensuring the referral of families to autism resource centers (CRA) when a pre-diagnosis of autism is made by one of the eight reference centres”.
Finally, good news for parents already affected, the government is committed to determining the means of compensation for families. “ by launching a legal expertise mission to clarify the responsibilities likely to be incurred and to examine in particular the impact of the lack of information and the damage they may have caused”, concludes the press release from the ministry.
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