Valproic Acid Level

• Refrigerator Temperature:  Store the serum or plasma refrigerated at 2-8°C. for up to one month.
• Freezer Temperature:  Store serum or plasma frozen (≤-20°C) for up to 1 year. 

Valproic Acid (also known as Depakene or Depakote) is an anti-convulsant or anti-seizure medication chemically related to most other anti-convulsants.
 
Monitoring valproic acid concentrations in serum helps to individualize drug therapy for safe and effective control of absence seizures, other generalized seizures, and partial seizures. Serum valproic acid monitoring is useful for assessing patient compliance, or to explain changes in seizure control or drug toxicity.
 
Achieving and maintaining therapeutic concentrations of serum valproic acid concentrations is difficult due to marked inter- and intra-patient variability in pharmacokinetics. The pharmacokinetics of valproic acid may be altered by age, pregnancy, renal failure, liver dysfunction, other drugs, low albumin, and other factors.